


One Word. ~Tragic~

by TurtleMystique



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Banishment, Drama, Drowning, F/M, I wrote this when I was 12, Kittens, Murder, Original Characters - Freeform, Romance, Tragedy, Violence, emergency c section, if you want something that reminds you of the warrior cat forums in 2010 pls read, super powers, why did no one get me therapy, yes with cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25942546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurtleMystique/pseuds/TurtleMystique
Summary: Dapplewing is surprised to find that she is expecting kits with her long-time crush, Brackentail. However, Brackentail is head over tails in love with Frostwing, who is also expecting his kits. In a "tail" of love, tragedy, murder, and a few emergency medical procedures, who will succeed in securing their one and only true love?(I wrote this when I was twelve and knee deep in drama on the Official Warrior Cat Forums. I will not be editing or accepting any criticism at this time, thank you.) (But please know this is the most unintentionally funny shit I've ever written or read in my life.)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. Intro and Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> This is Icefeather signing on to this fandom for the first time in ten years. Please enjoy reliving the wonders and horrors of Warrior Cats with me. And for anyone new to the fandom, please know that the obsession never truly goes away. Once a warrior always a warrior. On that note, warriors, unsheath your claws and get ready for fifteen chapters of "Why did my parents not get me therapy?" Enjoy.

# Allegiances

##  IceClan 

**Leader:** Icestar- fluffy white she cat with bright green eyes  
Apprentice, Thistlepaw

 **Deputy:** Hawkpelt- brown tabby tom with white paws, and chest with blue eyes 

**Warriors:**

Flameheart- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and a chest, paws, and muzzle and has a bushy tail

Frostwing- white she-cat with blue tinged ears, muzzle, paws, and tail with blue eyes  
Apprentice, Icepaw

Brackentail- brown tom with green eyes and a golden brown tail  
Apprentice, Cherrypaw

Appleblossom- ginger she cat with yellow eyes

Grassfur- brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Dustfur- dusty brown tom with green eyes  
Apprentice, Flamepaw

Gorseclaw- dark brown tabby tom with long claws and green eyes

Iceflower- silver-gray she-cat with icy blue eyes

Autumleaf- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Birdsong- blue she-cat with blue eyes

Rockfall- gray tom with brown splotches and gray eyes

Dapplewing- gray she-cat with blue eyes and darker gray flecked legs, tail, muzzle, and ears  
Apprentice, Lilypaw

 **Apprentices:**

Lilypaw- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Icepaw- white she-cat with amber eyes

Cherrypaw- golden brown she-cat with golden brown eyes

Flamepaw- white tom ginger paws and green eyes

**Queens:**

Dapplepelt- white and ginger she-cat with blue eyes heavily expecting Rockfall’s kits

Sweetheart- pinky ginger she-cat; mother to Dustfur’s kits, Skykit and Rockkit

Elders:

Mossnose- white she-cat with a brown nose and gray eyes

##  StreamClan 

**Leader:** Hazelstar- small gray and white she-cat with green eyes

 **Deputy:** Tigerpelt- ginger tom with black tabby stripes and yellow eyes

**Warriors:**

Goldfur- golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Blossompelt- tortoiseshell-and-white- she-cat with blue eyes

Sparrowheart- brown tom with half a tail missing

Nightflame- beautiful long-furred lack she-cat with bright amber eyes

More unmentioned

**Queens:**

Applefrost- ginger she-cat with icy blue eyes; mother of Stonekit and Crowkit

 **Elders:**  
Crowdapple- white tom with black dots and blue eyes

##  StoneClan 

**Leader:** Flamestar- ginger tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:** Yellowtail- black tom with yellow eyes

**Warriors:**

Antfur- spiky haired brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

More unmentioned

 **Queens:**

Iceheart- white she-cat with blue eyes

**Elders:**

Grayfur- gray she-cat with yellow eyes

## MoonClan

 **Leader:** Moonstar- pale silver-yellow she-cat with blue eyes

 **Deputy:** Beetlepelt- black and white tom with green eyes

 **Warriors:**

Bumblelight- gray she-cat with black tabby stripes and yellow eyes

More unmentioned

**Queens:**

None

**Elders:**

None


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 1! Here you'll find scientific inaccuracies, flat characters, and stiff dialogue. Please laugh with me.

Dapplewing stretched in the comfortable new-leaf sun. As she yawned, she saw two bundles of fur tumble out of the IceClan nursery. 

“Rockkit, Skykit, you’ve opened your eyes,” she exclaimed. Since she was a new warrior, Dapplewing couldn’t help in wanting to be Skykit’s future mentor.

“Yes,” the little silver-gray she-cat, Skykit chirped, her blue eyes shining.

“Yes,” Rockkit echoed.

“Can you show us around!?” Skykit was trembling with excitement.

“Of course I can.” Dapplewing smiled warmly at the two tiny two sun-rise old kits, they held their chins high and smiled back at her. Getting up, she padded to the elders’ den that was under a large yew bush. “Mossnose?” she whispered.

“Yes?” an old she-cat croaked.

“May we come in? I have the newest IceClan members with me,” Dapplewing purred.

“Skykit and Rockkit?” she asked.

“Of course it’s us,” Skykit mewed.

“Come in! Come in!” Mossnose was now excited. “I just love new kits,” she purred, giving each kit a sloppy wet lick.  
Dapplewing’s whiskers twitched as she saw Skykit rub the slobber off with her paw while the elderly she-cat looked up at Dapplewing. She must have seen it too, for a smiling laugh covered her face.

“We want to hear a story,” Rockkit mewed, his fur bristling in pure excitement. 

“Yeah, tell us a story,” Skykit’s mewed.

“Well, it seems you two are set for a while, so I’m going to leave. Don’t bother Mossnose too much, and go back to the nursery if you get tired,” Dapplewing told the kits, who were already staring expectantly at the white elder.

“Dapplewing,” she heard a voice call her name. She spun around to see her leader beckoning her with her tail.

“I want you and Brackentail to do a hunting patrol,” she meowed.

Oh my StarClan! What will I say?! Dapplewing thought frantically, staring at the handsome brown warrior. He had been made an apprentice and warrior with Dapplewing and she had admired the gorgeous cat since she had opened her eyes. But, Brackentail had always been moony about Frostwing, who had been made a warrior one moon ahead of him and Dapplewing.

“Are you coming?” Dapplewing had been so lost in thought, that she hadn’t noticed that Brackentail had already reached the camp exit.

“Coming,” she called, and ran over to him, smiling like the sun.

“Why do you look like that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Dapplewing straitened up. 

“Like what?” she asked.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Brackentail purred, instantly becoming embarrassed and looking away.

“Stupid fur-ball,” she purred back, also becoming embarrassed. 

“I’ll race you to the pond! I bet I can run faster that you,” he challenged.

“That wouldn’t be very warrior-like, now would it?” Dapplewing asked as they passed through the forest that made up IceClan’s territory.

“I guess you’re right . . .,” Brackentail sighed, looking disappointed.

Dapplewing laid her flecked gray tail on his shoulder and laughed. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to!” 

She took off running through the dense undergrowth, glancing back to see the brown warrior staring at her, and then leaping after her. Dapplewing ran like the wind, ever so often looking back to see Brackentail no farther that a tails length behind her, despite her head start. Finally, they reached the sparkling blue pond.  
Dapplewing tried to stop, but skidded on the slippery sand and slid right into the cold water. Apparently, Brackentail saw her shivering and ran up to her.

“Are you okay!?” he asked, genuinely worried.

“F-f-fine,” she chattered.

“Good,” he purred, licking an icy droplet of water that was on her ear, but instantly jumped away. “I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, his green eyes worried. 

“It’s o-okay!” She shivered again.

“We need to get you warm,” he mewed.

“I can’t walk,” she mewed. “The water . . . so cold,” she wailed, her stiff limbs buckling beneath her.

“Dapplewing,” he gasped, staring down at the passed out, crumpled dappled gray she-cat. His eyes clouded with worry, Brackentail was starting to lie down beside her and curl around her to warm her, when he saw Frostwing, her icy blue eyes boring a hole in his pelt.

“Frostwing,” he breathed.

“How could you Brackentail? How could you?” There was no anger or malice in her soft voice, only sadness.

“It’s not what you think, Frostwing! No, I love you,” he blurted out.

Dapplewing had secretly awakened and heard the conversation. She wanted to wail like a lost kit.

“Don’t lie, Brackentail! You know if I hadn’t come to tell you something very important, you would have . . . ugh!” She ran away from the pond, back towards camp. 

“Frostwing,” he yowled and jumped running after her, leaving the as-far-as-he-knew unconscious she-cat by herself on the beach. Dapplewing got up and padded slowly back to camp, her paws dragging with each step, wanting to wail like a lost kit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the ~tragic~ drama (and writing) begins.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 2, in which we learn that out main character is not at all likable.

Dapplewing sighed. When she had gotten back to camp two-sunrises ago, it had been revealed that Frostwing was carrying Brackentail’s kits. Now, Brackentail never even glanced at her! All he ever did was look after his precious mate. “Are you hungry?” “Are your comfortable?” “Are you okay?” he continuously pestered the white she-cat, who had moved to the nursery already, forced by Brackentail, of course.

“Dapplewing, I need you to go on hunting patrol with Flameheart,” the IceClan deputy, Hawkpelt told her. Good! Dapplewing thought. Flameheart was her best friend.

“Let’s go.” Flameheart nudged her gently towards the camp exit. “Talk to me. It’s not good to hold in, everyone deserves to admit their true feelings.”

“You know my feelings,” Dapplewing sighed. “I’m jealous. I love him, and he knows that, and so does Frostwing.”

“I know, Dapplewing, but move on. There are plenty of toms in our Clan beside him! How about Gorseclaw? He’s so sweet and I’ve noticed him being all moony over you,” Flameheart suggested.

“Ugh! No! I mean he’s okay and all, but he’s not Brackentail,” Dapplewing whimpered.

“I know, I know,” Flameheart mewed, giving her a soft lick on the ear.

Dapplewing knew that she was thinking about Hawkpelt, her mate. Lucky her! She thought. Lucky her. . .

Half a moon later, Frostwing’s belly had swollen to a large plump ball and the medicine cat, Dawnsun, had confirmed that there were four.  
As she was choosing a vole from the fresh-kill pile, Dawnsun called her to the medicine den.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Just lay down,” she ordered.

Dapplewing obeyed and Dawnsun place both her paws on her belly.

“Just as I suspected . . .,” she murmured.

“What?” Dapplewing was still confused.

“Dapplewing, you’re expecting kits.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope this entertains you half as much as it does me.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we will learn that twelve year old me had no knowledge of: a) reproduction, b) healthy relationships, and c) plot devices other than drama.

“What?!” How could it be? Dapplewing had never been with a tom in her life! Then she remembered: Brackentail curling around her. _Oh no!! He has kits with Frostwing!_ She thought. She stormed out of the den, ignoring Dawnsun’s call.

“Brackentail,” she yowled in the nursery. He came out, looking flabbergasted. 

“What!?”

“Come with me,” Dapplewing growled.

“Wh—” he started but she cut him off.

“Just come,” Dapplewing spat.

As soon as they were out of hearing distance of camp, Dapplewing yowled, “You did this to me!!! You have ruined my life!!!”

“What!?” gasped.

“You ruined my life!” She enunciated every word. “You just had to curl around me and get me pregnant!”

“What, how!?” he gasped.

“I am pregnant! My whole life is ruined! Because of you! Because of you, everyone will think I’m a mouse-brain because I accidentally had kits!!! What will I tell Icestar? ‘Oh, I’m having kits, but with the wrong tom!’ How stupid will everyone think I am!?” she yowled, unable to hide her fury.

Brackentail was speechless.

"It can't be true. I love Frostwing, not you," Brackentail snarled. "Those kits have no father as far as I'm concerned!"

"Brackentail, how could you mate with that mouse-brained excuse for a cat!?" 

"Frostwing," Brackentail gasped, "she means nothing to me, nothing!" "Ugh! As if! If you hate her, kill her and her kits! Now! Right here, right now, no one will ever know." Frostwing’s blue eyes were cold as stone.

"Kill her?" Brackentail choked. "And her—my—kits!?"

"Do it! Or your kits will never know their father!"

At that, Brackentail leaped at Dapplewing, locking his jaws around her throat. 

"Brackentail," she wheezed.

“Show no mercy,” Frostwing yowled.

“I . . . still . . . love . . . you . . . Bracken . . . tail . . .,” Dapplewing managed to mew. Brackentail stopped clawing her and let go of her neck. Dapplewing slumped to the ground and gasped for breath.

“You made me almost kill her,” Brackentail gasped in horror at Frostwing.

“You did it yourself. I simply motivated you.” Frostwing scoffed.

Brackentail turned away from her. “You are no longer my mate. Our kits will have no father.”

“Come on,” he whispered to Dapplewing as he picked up her gray scruff and dragged her towards camp. “I love you . . . I love you . . .” he said.

“No . . . you . . . don’t . . .,” Dapplewing choked. “No . . . you . . . don’t . . .,” And then, she went eerily still. 

Brackentail held back tears as he made his way towards camp. What will I tell the Clan? He thought dreadfully. The truth . . . but Frostwing or I could be kicked out of the Clan! A surprised screech woke him from his thoughts. He saw ginger fur flash out of the undergrowth before something pinned him down.

“Flameheart,” he yowled, “let me up!” 

“No,” Flameheart spat, “you hurt her!”

“No I didn’t,” Brackentail hissed back before he thought about it.

“I’m not a newborn kit, Brackentail! I can smell her blood on you and your claws are full of gray fur,” Flameheart growled, sinking her thorn-sharp claws deeper into Brackentail’s brown chest.

“What’s going on here?” A new voice made Flameheart jump.

“He nearly killed Dapplewing,” Flameheart spat. Brackentail looked up to see his leader, Icestar, standing in front of Flameheart, her green eyes flashing with shock and her fluffy snow white pelt bristling. She had never looked more intimidating to Brackentail.

“He did what!?” Icestar screeched. 

Before Flameheart could reply, Brackentail jumped up and meowed, “Let me explain, please.” He looked at Dapplewing lying on the ground. “Please take her back to camp for Dawnsun to treat. I wouldn’t want my kits, or her, to die.” Flameheart looked shocked, but did as he said.

“Icestar,” he started. “Frostwing made me!”

“Since when do you do everything that Frostwing tells you?” Icestar asked, strangely calm.

Then, Brackentail remembered: Dapplewing was Icestar’s daughter. She must she shocked out of her wits! He thought.

“Let me start at the very beginning,” he said.

“You’d better!” Icestar’s hiss stung like a bee sting.

“When you sent us on a hunting patrol together, we raced to the pond instead. She slid on the sand and fell in the pond, and when she got out, she fainted. I wrapped around her to keep her warm, and that’s how she got pregnant with my kits.” He stopped and looked up at Icestar. She vaguely nodded for him to go on.

“Well, then Frostwing came to tell me that she was having my kits, but she saw me curled around Dapplewing and ran off. I followed her, leaving Dapplewing at the pond. Then Frostwing told me about the kits and I never spoke to Dapplewing again until today, when she found out that she was pregnant with my kits. She came to the nursery and called me out. I followed her into the forest, knowing that she was furious about something. When we were out of hearing distance, she turned on me. What I didn’t know, was that Frostwing had followed us. Dapplewing yowled at me about curling around her and ruining her life by getting her pregnant. That’s when Frostwing came out. I insisted to her that Dapplewing meant nothing to me. But she wouldn’t listen. She told me to kill her.”

Icestar was in tears. So was Brackentail.

“I did it. Until Dapplewing told me that she still loved me . . .,” Brackentail stopped. His story was finished.

“Come.” Icestar flicked her tail and padded off towards camp.

_Oh StarClan! What have I done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could explain why I wrote in such short "paragraphs." If you've read this far, thank you and may your next leafbare be short and mild.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our main character is almost dead. Surely nothing else bad is going to happen in this chapter . . . . unless?

Dapplewing groaned. Her neck stung like fury.

“Hush . . .,” a soft motherly voice whispered to her.

“Am I in StarClan?” Dapplewing winced at the thought.

“No, Dear. You are home, in the medicine den of IceClan,” the voice mewed.

“Who are you?” Dapplewing asked.

“I’m Dawnsun, of course!” Dawnsun meowed. Dapplewing snapped opened her eyes.

“I can hardly believe you’ve finally awoken,” Dawnsun exclaimed.

“How long was I out?” the dappled gray she-cat asked.

“For a quarter moon.” Dawnsun busied herself with Dapplewing’s neck. “Brackentail hurt you really bad.”

“Brackentail . . . is he okay!? What about our kits!? Are they okay!?” Dapplewing jumped up, making her body sting.

“You still love him, eh?” Dawnsun asked.

“Of course,” Dapplewing snapped. “Our kits?” she prompted again.

“They’re fine, they’re fine!” Dawnsun meowed.

“Are you sure?” Dapplewing asked.

“Positive.” She replied.

“Phew . . .,” Dapplewing sat back down. “What about Brackentail?”

“He has been put on apprentice duties for a moon and a half; Frostwing, too!” Dawnsun laughed. Dapplewing gave a feeble laugh. She kind of wondered why her mother, Icestar, hadn’t been harder on them.

“Can I go out?” she asked.

“Sure you can, but nothing too hard, okay?” Dawnsun told her.

“Alright,” Dapplewing meowed as she backed out of the den, her body stinging with every step.

“Brackentail,” she called. She saw the warrior working alongside Icepaw.

He looked up from patching the warriors den. “Dapplewing, you’re finally awake! I’m so, so, so sorry! Please forgive me!” he bowed his head.

“I do, Bracken—” he was cut off by a sharp pain in her belly. “They’re coming,” she gasped before she collapsed.

“Dawnsun,” she heard Brackentail yowl. Dawnsun emerged from her den. 

“With all that yowling you’d think that the Dark Forest cats were here- Oh StarClan Dapplewing!” she added, seeing the dappled she-cat lying on the ground.

“Help her,” Brackentail urged.

“There are five kits.” Dawnsun reported, placing her paws on Dapplewing’s belly.

“Get me cobwebs, borage, and a stick,” she yowled to no cat in particular. Icepaw ran to the medicine den to get the cobweb and borage, while Brackentail got a stick.

“Bite on this, Dapplewing,” she told her, shoving the stick in her mouth. Dapplewing nodded and took it gratefully. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Okay, you’re already in hard labor, so push,” Dawnsun instructed.

Dapplewing pushed. Nothing happened.

“What’s wrong with me!?” she yowled and pushed again. This time, a black she-kit slid out.

“She’s beautiful.” Brackentail yowled.

“She’s ours . . . just ours . . .,” Dapplewing purred.

“Push again Dapplewing,” Dawnsun told her. 

She pushed hard. Again to no avail. Dapplewing pushed harder. A brown she-kit slid out.

“We have two lovely she-cats,” Brackentail yowled.

“Three more to go,” Dawnsun told them.

Dapplewing didn’t have to be told to push this time. This time she only had to push once for a white tom to slide out.

“A tom,” she meowed. Brackentail just smiled from ear to ear.

“Okay, this one is turned the wrong way, Dapplewing, so push really hard."

Dapplewing did. Nothing happened. She pushed again, harder, still nothing. Finally, after the sixth push, a black she-cat came, not moving, or making noise.

“Still-born…” Dawnsun mewed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twelve year old me lived for the drama of it all. If you've read this far, thank you and may StarClan bless your path.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again with horrible drama the stiff dialogue, but this time with some misused words for ~spice~ because I thought I was smart.

“What!?” Dapplewing gasped.

“What!?” Brackentail echoed.

“She’s still-born,” Dawnsun repeated, pushing down on the black kits chest. The kit coughed.

“She’s alive,” Dapplewing sighed in relief.

“One more to go, Dapplewing,” Dawnsun meowed. “Whoa! This is a really big one, Dapplewing!” Dapplewing pushed and pushed. She felt the kit slowly coming so she kept pushing. After what seemed like a moon of pushing, a kit covered in blood came out. Dapplewing screeched in pain.

“Oh StarClan this can’t be happening! No, no, no, no!” Dawnsun gasped. “You’ve ripped. . .”

“What?” Brackentail yowled.

“Get more cobwebs! Now,” Dawnsun yowled, spreading with cobwebs she had on the ripped flesh.

Brackentail sprinted out of the den, only to return moments later with a giant wad of cobweb in his jaws. Dawnsun nodded and stuck them on.  
Dapplewing let out a feeble wail before she fainted. Her last words were, “Take care of our kits, Brackentail.” 

“No, Dapplewing! Don’t die! Don’t die!!!” As Brackentail wailed, Dapplewing’s breath was coming slower and shallower, until she hardly breathed at all. 

Dapplewing snapped open her eyes to see starry cats around her. 

“It can’t be! I’m not dead! I can’t be! My kits,” she gasped.

“Hush. . .” A stone gray tom padded up her and placed his muzzle on her head.

“Stonestar,” she meowed. “Please say I’m not dead,” she added in a wail.

“No. You aren’t, yet,” Stonestar added.

“What do you mean yet? Am I going die?” Dapplewing gasped, feebly, feeling the strength leave her body. She collapsed on the leave strewn forest floor.

“You will if we don’t intervene,” a new cat spoke.

“Silversnow!” Dapplewing breathed. This was the queen that had taken care of her when her mother, Icestar, was busy with leader duties.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Dapplewing mewed, rubbing her muzzle on the white streaked silver she-cat.

“I missed you, too!” Silversnow licked Dapplewing’s ear.

“You are destined for great things, Dapplewing,” Stonestar cut into their reunion.

“What?” Dapplewing asked.

“We have to save you some how, is what they’re trying to say, Sister,” A new cat, a kit, explained.

“Applekit!”

“Yeah, me, but how 'bout we stop the amenities and save your life? What would you rather do, Dapplewing, die while we talk about it, or us let you live?” Applekit asked.

“Please, oh please, save me,” Dapplewing wailed.

“We will . . .,” Silversnow whispered, closing her eyes and walking stiff-legged up to Dapplewing and thrust her muzzle in her side.  
Stonestar did the same, but on the other side, and Applekit touched his little pink nose to hers. 

Then Applekit said, “With this partial life, I give you strength. Use it well for all your loved ones, even the dead.” Dapplewing felt searing pain course through her body, and when it was over, she was left gasping for breath.

Stonestar meowed, “With this partial life, I give you compassion. Use it well for all Clanmates, even those who hurt you.” Dapplewing felt warmth like a soft green-leaf day cover her pelt and she wish she could savor this feeling, but as soon as it came, it was stripped away.

“And to complete your life, I give you love. Use it well for every cat,” Silversnow said. Dapplewing expected this one to feel like the last one, and was surprised when she felt pain, the pain of losing a loved one, the fear of your kits dying, everything. . .

“Use your new life well Dapplewing,” every cat around her meowed.

And Dapplewing blinked and woke up with five kits snuggled at her belly.

“You’re alive,” Dawnsun gasped. “But your breathing stopped!”

“StarClan gave me a life, well actually three of the closest cats in my life did. Applekit, my brother, Stonestar, my grandfather, and Silversnow, my foster mother, each gave me a third of a life,” Dapplewing explained, shocked that it had really happened.

“We have beautiful kits, my love,” Brackentail purred.

Dapplewing licked each of their heads gently, painfully aware of Frostwing glaring at her and the five newborn kits. 

“What would you like to name them?” the brown warrior asked her in a purr.

“This black she-cat,” she mewed, pointing to their first-born with her tail, “I want to name Nightkit.”

“Perfect,” Brackentail purred

“The brown she-cat, I want to name Thrushkit?” she suggested, pointing to her second born

“Again, perfect,” he purred back.

“The white tom . . . how about Cloudkit?” the tired dappled queen asked.

“He looks just like a cloud. Cloudkit is perfect,” Brackentail mewed.

“The other black she-cat, how about . . . you decide, Brackentail,” Dapplewing yawned, too tired to think.

“Umm . . . Sweetkit?” he suggested.

“Perfect . . .,” Dapplewing murmured, her eyelids drooping.

“And I want to name the biggest kit, the ginger tom, Lionkit,” Brackentail meowed.

“Absolutely perfect, Brack—” Dapplewing never finished the sentence before she was nudged into the nursery with her kits and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far, I'm sorry.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For what you are about to read, please know that I am truly sorry.

When she woke, it was sun-high of the next day. All of her kits except Sweetkit, the smallest and weakest, were awake.

“Good morning, my loves,” Dapplewing purred, licking each kit. Then she realized what had woken her. A fresh mouse was lying right beside her nest.

“Yum,” she mewed, tucking in. “still warm!”

“I caught just for you!” A new voice made her look up. “Brackentail, Aren’t they beautiful?” Dapplewing ran her tail over all five kits, waking Sweetkit. Then, to his parents’ surprise, Lionkit opened his eyes to reveal dark amber eyes. “Lionkit, you’ve opened you eyes,” both cats purred at the same time.

“Yup, when will these lumps open theirs!?” the big kit asked, stabbing Sweetkit with an unsheathed paw. She immediately let out a shrill cry.

“Can’t you keep your kits quiet!?” Frostwing snarled.

“Shut up, Frostwing!” Brackentail growled.

“Humph!” Frostwing turned and walked out of the nursery.

“Lionkit, you always sheath your claws! Never, ever do I want to see you hurt a Clanmate, a littermate of all things,” Dapplewing scolded. 

“For that, you won’t get to go out of the nursery today,” Brackentail added.

“Yes,” Dapplewing agreed.

Sweetkit had a thin trickle of blood running down her black side. 

“Go tell Dawnsun she’s hurt,” Dapplewing ordered her mate to do.

Brackentail sprinted out of the nursery like a whole hoard of badgers was after him. Dapplewing gently picked the tiny black kit up by the scruff and carried her to the medicine cat den. She was met by Dawnsun, who took Sweetkit out of her jaws and carried her to a makeshift nest, where she laid her.

“It’s just a scratch, but it will need some marigold to keep it from getting infected,” Dawnsun told the anxious parents.

“Are you sure?” Brackentail asked.

“Can I take her back to the nursery?” Dapplewing added.

“Not yet, she’s the weakest, so I want to keep an eye on the little scrap. Just come by a lot to feed her,” Dawnsun told them.

Dapplewing cast one more glance at the poor kit before she was nudged out of the den by her mate.

“I need to go on patrol, but you go back to the nursery,” he told her.

“Okay, bye,” the dappled queen sighed. As she padded towards the nursery, she smelled the over welling aroma of blood. She stuck her head inside.

“My kits,” she wailed.

“What’s wrong?” Icestar asked, thinking one just had gotten scratched on a thorn or splinter in the bedding. Dapplewing was trying hard not to sob, so she couldn’t answer. What she saw terrified her.

Frostwing was crouched over Cloudkit, blood dripping from her foamy mouth. Cloudkit, who apparently opened his eyes while Dapplewing was gone, opened his mouth in a silent wail of pain, blood pouring freely from a deep bite in his white side.

“You . . . did . . . this . . . to . . . him . . .,” Dapplewing growled, anger boiling inside her. “You just couldn’t stand me have something you wanted could you?! If you think you’ll get away with this, you are sadly mistaken, because if you get out of this alive, it won’t be because of me! I’ll kill you, and your kits! You deserve to die!” 

As soon as the last word was out, the furious queen lunged for Frostwing scruff. She locked her teeth in it and dragged the white queen out into the camp clearing, out of the nursery.

“Dawnsun,” Icestar called, but Dapplewing didn’t hear. She was locked in battle with her eternal foe. 

Her shocked Clanmates just stood aside, knowing this battle would have to take place, but most hoping Dapplewing would win. She had always been a favorite in all the Clans. When she had gone to her first gathering as a warrior, she noticed that the Clans cheered her name louder than they had for Frostwing. Frostwing bit into Dapplewing’s ear and screeched in fury, but Dapplewing felt no pain at all, though deep in her mind she knew later it would sting like fury. But now, in the heat of a long awaited battle, nothing fazed her. Not even when Frostwing slashed her belly open with her hind claws. Dapplewing fought like a member of TigerClan, fierce as a hurricane. 

She clawed and bit Frostwing until every hair on her white pelt was blood red, scarlet and sticky. Dapplewing had gotten a firm grip on Frostwing neck, when Brackentail dashed into camp.

“Stop,” he yowled, and Dapplewing immediately dropped Frostwing and started to wash, as if nothing had happened. “What are you to playing at!?” Brackentail meowed.

“She killed Cloudkit,” Dapplewing snarled.

“He’s not dead,” Dawnsun put in.

“I only hurt him because I love you, Brackentail . . .,” Frostwing whimpered. Icestar stepped between the cats. 

“I will decide what happens to Dapplewing and Frostwing, but you, Brackentail, must choose one, or none, of them to be your mate. I’m tired of the fighting, choose,” she ordered.

“I must think,” Brackentail whispered, though he knew which she-cat he would choose. Icestar jumped onto HighCliff. 

“Every cat here has witnessed the great quarrels Frostwing, Dapplewing, and Brackentail have caused,” she started, “but today we will put those battles to an end! I must think before I decide what to do with them, but Brackentail, come up here and voice your choice, so that the whole Clan may be a witness.” Icestar jumped down and joined the crowd of cats under HighCliff. Brackentail nervously jumped onto HighCliff.

“I-I say these words in front of StarClan and IceClan, so that they may hear and approve my choice for a mate. . .”

“Sounds like he’s appointing a deputy,” he heard Dustfur joke.

“Frostwing,” he was cut off by gasps. “Frostwing, I’m sorry. You cannot be my mate. Dapplewing, if she’ll take me, will be my mate,” Brackentail finished.

“Of course you choose scum for your mate,” Frostwing sneered.

“I would be honored to be your mate, Brackentail,” Dapplewing purred.

Brackentail jumped off the cliff to join Dapplewing in the crowd.

“I have also made my choice,” Icestar declared, regaining her position on HighCliff. “Frostwing, you have attempted murder twice now, once on Dapplewing, and once on Cloudkit. The warrior code clearly states that you don’t need to kill a cat to win a battle, and you don’t ever harm a kit. But Dapplewing hasn’t always been right either, but this time, she was protecting her kit, which in my eyes should be part of the warrior code. Frostwing, I’m sorry. You are exiled,” Icestar finished. 

“What!? Exiled?” Frostwing gasped.

“I wish I didn’t have to, but, I can’t give you another chance.” Icestar meowed.

“Another chance? Pft! I don’t want your pity anyway! I know someone who will welcome me, and someday, my kits will get much deserved revenge on their father! Haha!” Frostwing ended her speech in a maniacal laugh.

Brackentail gaped at her. “How-how could you say such a thing?! I may not love you as much as I do Dapplewing, but I love those kits more than you ever loved me!” 

“Who cares, your little fox-dung mate, or her mother, or me? ‘Cause I sure don’t care if you love me! I never even wanted these kits,” the white queen spat back.

“The feeling is mutual, Frostwing. But I want my kits to know their father,” Brackentail meowed. “Where are you going anyway?” he added.

“StoneClan, where my father is.” She replied.

“What!? Shocked gasps broke out among the intently listening crowd of IceClan cats.

“That’s right! I’m part StoneClan! Take that!” she hissed. “Before I go,” she added, “I would like to ask Birdsong to join me. She will be happy to live with her mate.” Birdsong spoke up for the first time. 

“I thought my punishment for mating with him was my other kits dying. But now I realize my punishment was you living! You, and Antfur, mean nothing to me. I was young and stupid, so just leave,” Birdsong spat.

“Frostwing,” Icestar addressed the warrior, breaking up the fight, “you have until sun-high to say your goodbyes, and then, you must leave. If you are caught still on IceClan’s territory by sunset, you will get a clawing that you won’t forget soon.”

“Yes, oh great Icestar,” Frostwing sneered.

“Good-bye, Frostwing. I hope never to meet you or my kits in battle,” Brackentail mewed solemnly. 

“You just wait! I’ll get you back for what you did yet,” she replied back in a snarl. Skykit and Rockit padded out of the nursery, much bigger now.

“Good-bye, Frostwing. I’ll miss you,” Skykit mewed sadly.

“Me too,” Rockkit sighed.

Seeing how sad these kits were sparked compassion for the young queen in Dapplewing. She was good with kits, and the Clan would miss her.

“Icestar?” Dapplewing meowed.

“Yes? How can I help you?” Icestar asked.

“Um . . . I was just thinking that, maybe you should give Frostwing another chance? I mean, I did steal her mate,” Dapplewing whispered.

“I believe you’re right, Dapplewing,” Icestar meowed, head down in shame for her own mistake.

“Clan,” Icestar summoned her Clan from their whispers. “I have decided to give Frostwing another chance to prove herself.”

“No,” Frostwing spat, “all I want to do is go tell Dawnsun good-bye, and be on my way.” 

“Very well,” Icestar agreed.

Frostwing dipped her head, and stalked off to the medicine den. Shortly after, she returned.

“Thank you, Icestar, for giving me shelter, food, and a home for these seasons,” she mewed, and left.

Brackentail stared sadly after Frostwing. 

“You still love her,” Dapplewing sighed.

“Yes, Dapplewing, I do. But I love you much more,” the brown warrior replied, his green eyes brimming with love. Whether it was for her or Frostwing, Dapplewing couldn’t tell.

“I’m going to check on the kits. Will you go see about Sweetkit and Cloudkit?” Dapplewing meowed, changing the subject.

“Of course I will, my love.” Brackentail purred, briefly brushing his muzzle against his mate’s. Dapplewing trotted to the nursery, confident that her kits, and herself, would be safe and secure now.

“Mama,” she heard a kit chirp.

“Thrushkit,” she purred, pushing her way into the nursery.

“Look, I opened my eyes,” Thrushkit mewed, standing up on wobbly legs.

“I know! They’re beautiful blue, too! Just like mine,” Dapplewing purred, licking her little she-cat’s head.

“Yes! Your eyes are so pretty, I think,” the tiny brown kit mewed.

“It was about time for you to open them,” Dapplewing heard another kit grumble. Dapplewing scowled. 

“Lionkit, be nice!”

“Whatever,” he growled.

“Lionkit, you are in big trouble now! You can’t leave the nursery until you have learned your lesson,” Dapplewing meowed, hitting her biggest kit with her tail, softly, but hard enough to get her point across.

“Can we play with Thrushkit?” a new voice chimed in.

“Skykit, of course you can! But be gentle, she’s only one sun-rise old, and you are almost a moon.”

“Of course, Dapplewing, we’ll be careful.” Skykit dipped her head to the new mother and gently guided Thrushkit out of the nursery with her silver tabby tail.

“You could learn a lesson from her, Lionkit. She’s so gentle.” Dapplewing ended in a sigh. She knew that since she would still be in the nursery when Skykit was made a ‘paw, she would never be the kit’s mentor. Lionkit didn’t look as if he had heard. It looked as if he had a little crush on the cute tabby. A yowl woke her from thought. 

“Dapplewing, Sweetkit’s gone!” 

Dapplewing looked up, bewildered, to see her mate breathing fast and shaking as if he knew exactly what horrible thing had happened.

“Frostwing,” Dapplewing breathed.

“Yes,” Brackentail sighed. 

Dappelwing yowled, “We must go after her!”

“No, we’ll never get her back,” Brackentail snarled quietly.

“Sweetkit or Frostwing?” Dapplewing cocked her head to the side.

“Frostwing,” Brackentail admitted. Dapplewing glared at him, then dashed out of the nursery, only pausing to call to Sweetheart, “Watch the kits!”  
She sprinted across the camp, heading for the exit, never faltering when cats yowled at her, or charged after her.

 _Sweetkit, Sweetkit, Sweetkit!_ Is all she thought, knowing that she might never see her precious newborn daughter again.  
She heard a meager wail from up ahead off her, that made her sprint even faster.

"Mama,” the wail came again.

“Shut up, mouse-brain,” another voice snarled.

Dapplewing saw a flash of white fur through the dense undergrowth.

Anger boiled in Dapplewing. “Frostwing!!!”

“Wha—” Frostwing gasped. Dapplewing knocked her down by charging into her side. She quickly grabbed her kit and set her aside, well away from the fighting that would take place. Dapplewing felt claws rake her pelt and heard a Frostwing gruffly hiss, “How’d you find me?!”

“Common sense,” she spat back. Dapplewing clamped her jaws around Frostwing’s already blood stained neck, and prepared to give her the killing bite, when she stopped. She had heard a high pitched yap. The gray queen allowed Frostwing to slump to the ground while she spun around. Standing over her kit, was a dark ginger shape with menacing black eyes and a bushy tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The worst part is, I wrote this unironically and with the utmost pride. I tried to get my dad to read this. It was shitty of him not to support me, sure, but I'm glad he never saw it


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Included in the following chapter: death, grief, getting over grief incredibly quickly, like really quickly, falling in love?, and ableism. Oh, and super powers.

She just stared in horror for a moment then yowled, “Fox!”

The yowl startled the fox and made him spin around, baring his glisten yellow-white teeth at her. _Oh StarClan! I can’t beat a fox single-pawed!_ She thought dreadfully. _Help me!_ The fox stood there, confused, but obviously wanting to go after Frostwing. She was hurt and would make an easy meal with only one warrior to protect her. Dapplewing dashed forward, picked up her kit and ran. Dapplewing kept running, and running. 

She yowled, “Help, help me!” 

“Wha—” a cat gasped. It was Icestar.

“Mother, fox,” she huffed through a black scruff.

“What, where is it?” Icestar demanded.

“By—” Dapplewing‘s muffled mew was cut off by a wail.

“Brackentail,” she gasped.

Dapplewing dropped Sweetkit and ran back towards the small clearing where she had left Frostwing, Brackentail, and the fox, only glancing back to make sure that Icestar had picked up Sweetkit.

When she had finally made it back to the clearing, she was wincing in pain. Her belly slice that Frostwing had gave her stung like fury now. What she saw in the middle of the clearing was horrifying.

Brackentail, or what was left of him, was sprawled out in a pool of blood, the fox hunched over him.

“Brackentail,” Dapplewing wailed.

There was no reply. Brackentail was definitely . . . dead.

“StarClan why?! What have I done wrong?! Do I deserve this?” Dapplewing yowled to the sky.

A gentle voice came on the wind.

“There will be Five of your kin, who will shed light on all four Clans, but not before much pain and suffering,” it whispered. The words turned Dapplewing’s blood to ice.

 _Five… Nightkit, Thrushkit, Lionkit, Sweetkit, and Cloudkit…_ she thought.

The fox looked up at her and snarled. Dapplewing slowly back away until the fox was out of sight, then, turned tail and ran. When she reached camp, Icestar and Flameheart met her.

“What happened? Where’s Brackentail?” Flameheart asked.

“He’s . . . gone,” Dapplewing sobbed.

“He died a warriors’ death, I’m sure,” Icestar assured her.

“Yeah, he died protecting Frostwing! Not Sweetkit, not me, but that crow-food eating traitor.” Dapplewing sunk to the ground into a heaving, sobbing heap of fur.

“You must stay strong, your kits need you,” Flameheart told her.

“Yes,” another cat said. It was Gorseclaw.

“Gorseclaw,” Dapplewing sighed, looking up.

“Can I have a moment with her, alone?” Gorseclaw asked nervously.

“Of course,” Icestar agreed, whiskers twitching.

“Thanks,” Gorseclaw dipped his head to his leader. He turned to Dapplewing. “Er . . . um . . . I was wondering . . .”

“Wondering what, Gorseclaw?” Dapplewing asked.

“If . . . um . . . now that your kits don’t . . . um . . . have a father—”

“They’ll need a father model,” Dapplewing finished for him.

“Exactly,” Gorseclaw mewed.

“Of course you can be their pretend father, if you want,” Dapplewing mewed.

“Really!? Thank you so much! Can we go see them?” he asked.

“Of course!” For the first time, Dapplewing realized how nice and handsome this sweet tom was.

“Mother,” a tiny voice called.

Dapplewing raced into the nursery to see Cloudkit, Sweetkit, Nightkit, Lionkit, and Thrushkit all sitting in a straight row, eyes open and pelts sleek and groomed.

“Who did this?” Dapplewing asked.

“I thought you might need a pleasant surprise,” Sweetheart meowed. “I’m so sorry about Brackentail.”

“He was a traitor,” Dapplewing snorted.

“True,” Sweetheart sighed.

“Look at all of you! Your eyes are all open,” Dapplewing exclaimed.

“What color are my eyes?” Cloudkit asked.

“Beautiful blue, Cloudkit,” his mother purred.

“What color are mine?” asked Nightkit.

“Deep yellow, Nightkit,” Dapplewing answered.

“What about mine?” Sweetkit asked.

“Bright green, Sweetkit,” the dappled queen answered.

“Mine are blue, right? Like yours?” Thrushkit asked.

“Yes, my precious kit,” Dapplewing purred.

“Aren’t mine amber?” Lionkit asked, finally looking like a normal sweet kit.

“Yes, Lionkit,” Dapplewing glanced at Gorseclaw. He was looking as if he would burst with pride, though they weren’t his kits.

“Are you my Daddy?” Thrushkit asked.

Gorseclaw shot Dapplewing a glance. When she nodded, Gorseclaw leaned down to lick the little kit’s head. “Yes, Thrushkit, I’m your father,” he purred.

“But what about that brown tom?” Lionkit protested.

“He was my friend, kits,” Dapplewing lied. 

“Oh,” Lionkit mewed. “Can we go play?” he added.

“Sure,” Dapplewing told her kits as they bustled out of the nursery.

“Sweetheart, do you think you and Dapplepelt can handle seven kits?” Dapplewing asked.

“We’ll manage,” Sweetheart laughed.

“Thanks,” Dapplewing sighed.

“Flameheart,” Dapplewing called once she was out of the nursery. The dark ginger she-cat bounded over to her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Fine, but I want to talk to you,” Dapplewing meowed.

“Sure,” Flameheart meowed.

“So, how’s it going with you and Hawkpelt?” Dapplewing carefully asked.

“It’s going great!” Flameheart lowered her voice to a whisper and glanced around her. “I think I’m expecting kits!”

“What?!” Dapplewing exclaimed a little bit too loud. 

“What?” a brown tabby tom asked, padding up.

“Hawkpelt,” Flameheart gasped.

“What’s wrong, Love?” Hawkpelt asked.

Flameheart shot a glance at Dapplewing.

“Well . . . I’m not sure, but—” Flameheart’s mew was cut off by an excited squeal.

“Kits?” Hawkpelt squealed.

“Um, yeah,” Flameheart answered.

“Dapplewing come quick!” Gorseclaw’s yowl interrupted the heart-felt conversation.

“What’s wrong?” Dapplewing asked, trotting over to Gorseclaw, who was leaning over Thrushkit, who was looking perfectly normal.

“It’s Thrushkit. When Lionkit asked her what color his eyes were, she answered blue. I think she’s either blind or color blind,” Gorseclaw mewed.

“Let me see,” Dapplewing mewed. “Thrushkit, can you see what I’m doing?” Her mother waved her tail in front of Thrushkit’s face. Thrushkit ignored her.

“Thrushkit, I need you to be serious now. Can you see me?” Dapplewing meowed firmly. Thrushkit whimpered. 

“No, Mama. . .” Dapplewing drew in a shaky breath. 

“Gorseclaw, she’s blind.”

“No, no, no!” The wail was worthy of a true father. He added desperately in a much lower voice, “How will she ever be a warrior?”

Dapplewing let out a choked sigh and thrust her gray head into Gorseclaw’s brown tabby chest. 

“It’ll be okay, Dapplewing,” he whispered in her ear.

“No, these kits are part traitor… I trust you to be the best father you can be,” Dapplewing mewed. Gorseclaw pricked his ears.

“I will try, I promise!” Dapplewing felt a tiny spark of something in her heart. She wasn’t sure if she liked this tom, or if it was just gratefulness and anxiety. She also felt a strange emotion pulsing off Gorseclaw in waves. She had never sensed this before, but had noticed something similar coming of Icestar, love. And something with a smidge of similarity from Brackentail, but this was different. Dapplewing was almost positive that it was true, mate-like, love. Then, she recognized the feeling in her heart as similar to his, weaker, but similar. As she sat here, with just her kits and Gorseclaw, Dapplewing almost forgot everything that had had happened this past moon. Her heartbeat slowed to match his, she felt secure, like a kit again. Dawnsun padded into camp, a wad of tansy in her jaws. Dapplewing lifted her head. 

“Dawnsun, could you come over here?”

“Sure, let me just put this in my den,” the golden tabby mewed cheerfully, though her blue eyes glimmered with worry.

After a few moments, Dawnsun returned and trotted briskly towards the kits, Gorseclaw, and Dapplewing.

“What’s the problem?” she asked. Gorseclaw let out a long breath. 

“It’s Thrushkit. We think that she’s blind. . .” Dawnsun gasped. 

“Let me have a look,” she mewed, her voice shaking. Dapplewing didn’t know why Dawnsun was so nervous. Surely she’d encountered this before, or heard about it! But as she gently, but shakily flicked her paw towards Thrushkit’s eyes, she looked as if a whole hoard of badgers were after her! Her fur was fluffed out twice as normal, all her claws except for the ones on her paws she was flicking, were unsheathed and her blue eyes blazed with sheer terror. Suddenly, Dawnsun appeared to get paralyzed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader, here. Let me pray for you.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I think kittens age so quickly. Why did I think grief was processed so quickly. Why did I think.

Dapplewing let out a screech. “Dawnsun, what’s wrong?” 

Thrushpaw looked up. She had been staring at Dawnsun. Well not exactly staring, but her head had been pointing towards her and her blind blue eyes had been set right on her, as if she was staring. As soon as her gaze lifted, Dawnsun regained mobility.

“Wh-what happened?” she stammered. 

“You were paralyzed for a moment!” Dapplewing didn’t look at the young medicine cat, but stared at her kit. _There will be Five of your kin, who will shed light on all four Clans, but not before much pain and suffering_ , she recalled the prophecy. _They must all have powers!_ The thought hit the young mother like a boulder. _Thrushkit can control movement, I guess . . . but I don’t know about the other four. . ._

Thrushkit looked dumbfounded, as if she had no clue what happened.

“Thrushkit . . . what did you do?” Gorseclaw gasped, apparently noticing what she had done, too.

“What so you mean?” Thrushkit asked, her cloudy blue eyes showing confusion. Dawnsun started to recover. 

“You c-controlled me!”

“So? Can’t every cat?” Thrushkit was genuinely confused.

“Think, mouse-brain!” Lionkit came up behind her and cuffed her in the ear. 

“He’s right,” Sweetkit mewed. “Do you ever see any other cats control others?” she added.

Thrushkit flattened herself to the ground. It was hard to believe that she couldn’t see, for her eyes pictured her every emotion. “I guess not, but what does this mean?” the little kit’s voice quivered as she spoke.

Every cat looked expectantly to Dawnsun. Her only reply was a sigh, as if she’d known this would happen.

“Dapplewing, come to my den,” she meowed, “now.”

The young queen got up and followed Dawnsun to the medicine den.

“What do you need?” she asked nervously, sitting down to face Dawnsun.

Dawnsun sat in her nest, fur bristled and claws unsheathed. “Your kits. . .” she murmured.

“I-I heard this prophecy earlier… when I saw Brackentail,” Dapplewing mewed, shuddering at the thought of Brackentail.

“I heard a prophecy, too. There will be Five of your kin, who will shed light on all four Clans, but not before much pain and suffering.” Dawnsun recited the prophecy.

“And it said ‘of your kin’ to you too because you’re my sister, right?” Dapplewing and Dawnsun had been inseparable as kits, but once each of them chose different paths as apprentices their relationship had faded like mist in the sunshine.

“Yes,” Dawnsun agreed, half to herself.

“So does this mean they all have powers?” Dapplewing inquired.

“If I’m not mistaken, then yes, they do. We need to find out what each power is, but don’t tell any cat, and make sure the kits know that. The rest of the Clan might feel bitter towards them if they knew kits were more powerful that a full-grown warrior. Only you, I, Gorseclaw, and the kits can know. Agreed?” Dawnsun let her claws curl back into their sheaths as she meowed this.

“Agreed, Sister,” Dapplewing dipped her head and backed out of the den.

 _I know what Thrushkit’s power is. She can control movement. Now, for Cloudkit_ , Dapplewing decided.

“Cloudkit, come see me,” she called to the white kit who was watching Sweetkit and Nightkit play fight.

“Yes, Mama?” he asked, bouncing around the fight to come nose to nose with his mother.

“Do you ever feel . . .,” Dapplewing groped for the right words, “um . . . special?” 

“Like how?” Cloudkit cocked his fluffy white head to the side, his blue eyes shining with curiosity.

“Like control things, or anything.” _This will be harder than I thought…_ she thought.

“What will be hard?” Cloudkit asked.

“What do you mean? I thought that, not said it! You read my mind! That’s your power,” Dapplewing gasped, wondering how these powers could harm her precious kits.

Dapplewing took a deep, shaky breath. _Now for Nightkit…_ she thought.

“What are you going to do to Nightkit?” Cloudkit’s mew startled Dapplewing out of her fur. Her surprise faded into anger.

“You will not read my thoughts,” she growled.

“But Mama, if I don’t read minds I don’t know what’s going on around me!” Cloudkit had to stifle a sob. 

“What do you mean?” Dapplewing’s voice softened once again to her caring, motherly tone.

“I-I don’t know! I can’t really . . . hear I don’t guess,” Cloudkit admitted.

“So you’re deaf?” Horror engulfed Dapplewing like a dark wing.

“What’s deaf mean,” the tiny two one sunrise old kit squeaked, “that I can’t hear?

“I guess,” Dapplewing decided. “But be wary of this power. You may gain unnecessary knowledge, and knowledge is not always power.” 

Cloudkit nodded and bounced back to his siblings. Dapplewing wanted them occupied for a minute, so she called all five of then together.

“I have a game for all of you,” she cheerfully meowed. Excitement gleamed in every ones eyes, even Thrushkit’s.

“It’s a relay race. The first kit who can bring me back a beetle, a twig, a leaf, and a feather wins! But remember, stay in camp,” Dapplewing finished.

As the kits scampered away, Dapplewing looked around for Gorseclaw. She spotted him choosing a sparrow from the fresh-kill pile. The young queen trotted over to the brown tabby tom.

When he saw her, he called, “Hey! Want to share?” He flicked his white tipped tail towards the plump sparrow.

“Sure!” Dapplewing quickened her pace.

“I need to talk to you alone,” she mumbled through a bite of sparrow.

“We’re alone now,” Gorseclaw murmured back.

“No, really alone, where no cat could over hear us,” Dapplewing mewed. “Meet me at sun-drown place at sunset,” she decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am speechless. I am repentant.


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing I can possibly say that will prepare you for what you are about to read . . . there are no words.

The flame-colored sun was sinking into the darkening sky. Dapplewing had told the Clan that she was going hunting, but she was going to meet Gorseclaw, who had sneaked out earlier. Dapplewing took a deep breath. She was almost to the clearing where she had received the prophecy, and saw Brackentail. This time, she didn’t shudder at the thought of Brackentail being mauled by a blood-thirsty fox. It had sunk into her mind and heart that he had been a traitor, destined for a painful, gruesome death. 

She could now hear the loud crashing waves of the sun-drown place. She pictured Gorseclaw’s body out lined against the sky, she felt excitement welling in her, and her paws began to move faster. Her heart felt like it would explode as she came out of the trees and the sun-drown place cliffs came into view. Her excitement vanished in a heartbeat as she saw Gorseclaw cowering on the ground. A big, black shape loomed over him. The wind blew towards Dapplewing, carrying her scent to the creature. It lifted its head to reveal a large white stripe over its little beady eyes.

Dapplewing screeched involuntarily, “Badger!”

The badger lumbered away from Gorseclaw, straight towards the dappled mother. StarClan help me! She silently wailed.

To Dapplewing’s surprise, the badger stopped and opened its mouth. Even more surprising, was the words that came out. It was cat-speak!

“Harm I will not bring to you or your friend,” it said.

“H-how?” Dapplewing managed to talk.

“Name is Midnight. Cats my friends,” Midnight said. “I know of prophecy about Five.”

While Dapplewing stared in astonishment at this old badger, Gorseclaw demanded, “What ‘Five’?? What’s going on here?”

Dapplewing ignored him. “How do you know about them, Midnight?” Her voice was strangely calm and unwavering.

“With StarClan, I speak,” Midnight answered in her insolent voice.

“What is all this about?” Gorseclaw demanded once again.

Dapplewing glanced at him. “Midnight? Could we meet here tomorrow?”

“Sunset tomorrow,” Midnight confirmed.

When Dapplewing nodded, the big black badger lumbered off down the cliff. Dapplewing guessed her set was down there in the form of a cave. She turned back to Gorseclaw. His green eyes were blazing with the fury of being ignored, and not knowing what was going on. His light brown tabby pelt was bristling and his curved white claws were unsheathed, glistening in the dying light.

“You trust her?” he asked, the anger fading form his eyes replaced with genuine worry.

“Yes. Now can I tell you what it was about?” Dapplewing asked, her head hung in anxiety. 

“Of course you can.” Gorseclaw voice softened like a mothers.

Dapplewing padded over to the edge of the sheer, jagged cliff. She could just see the old badger vanishing into a cave. “Gorseclaw,” she began. “I wanted to tell you how much I’m grateful for you. Without you, my kits would have no father.” Gorseclaw just nodded, obviously wanting to hear something else.  
“But,” Dapplewing mewed. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

“How’s that?” Gorseclaw asked.

“Earlier today, I received a prophecy,” she ventured.

“What was it about?” Gorseclaw asked, shuffling closer to her.

“My- I mean our kits,” she mewed.

“And what did it say, Dapplewing?” he prompted.

“There will be Five of your kin, who will shed light on all four Clans, but not before much pain and suffering,” she answered.

As Gorseclaw opened his mouth to reply, Dapplewing heard a sickening crack. Almost like teeth biting into a prey bone, but much louder, much, much louder. Suddenly, the ground crumbled beneath her paws and she felt herself linger on the edge for a moment, before she fell. Dapplewing felt the salted tangy air whoosh by her body, and she heard screeching, though she couldn’t tell if it was hers or not. Almost as quick as it had happened, Dapplewing felt herself crash into what felt like rock, but viciously it shook her into semi-sense. The cliff had broken, and she had fallen into the hungry, gray-blue, churning water. She was pulled under the water, and when she opened her mouth to gasp for much needed air, her mouth flooded with the salty liquid. Suddenly, she was lurched back up to the top. Dapplewing opened her eyes, stinging with the salt. She quickly glanced up to the cliff. She saw silhouetted against the night sky, a small black cat. No, a kit! Nightkit, Dapplewing realized. Behind her kit, lightning crashed and thunder rolled, bringing in a mini hurricane.

She tried to wail to her kit, but she was silenced by a mighty wave that swept her under again. When she resurfaced, she saw Gorseclaw sinking into the choppy gray water. With a strong push from all her legs, Dapplewing propelled herself though the water towards her sinking friend. She was three tail lengths away from Gorseclaw, when lightning erupted in the now dark blue sky. The crack of the thunder that came after it startled Dapplewing so that she let her muscles un-tense for a moment. In that moment, she was once again swept under in the churning current. 

“StarClan’s kits!” The she-cat tired to wail, growing feebler every second. Suddenly, a gigantic wave swept Dapplewing closer to the shore, and closer, and closer until it was only a few fox lengths away. While she was being tossed around like fresh-kill, Dapplewing caught glimpse of Gorseclaw’s tabby fur. He was showing no sign of struggle and was floating quicker to the shore than Dapplewing. Dapplewing tried relaxing her muscles. As hard as it was, it worked. She started flowing even more rapidly toward the shore, never going under, like a floating stick. All of the sudden Dapplewing felt soggy ground underneath her paws. She instinctively sunk her claws into the mud, only to find it wash away form her paws. But the water was not deep; thank StarClan, so Dapplewing took one shaky step at a time, always testing her paw hold before putting complete weight on it. When she was only a tail length away form the coast, she saw the limp body of Gorseclaw splayed out lifelessly on the rocky sand.

“StarClan no,” she whimpered, taking the final leap out the salty water. She let out a wail. “No, no, no!”

Gorseclaw’s chest gave a short heave. He was either trying to breathe, or cough up the brackish water. The lightning was getting brighter, and the thunder roaring louder. Mixed with the waves, the noise was almost deafening. Rain was now pelting down, making Dapplewing’s stinging eyes blur even more. She didn’t know whether she could support herself on her exhausted limbs, but she wobbled over to her Clanmate and precariously latched her teeth into Gorseclaw’s scruff. 

“Oof,” Gorseclaw puffed.

Dapplewing gasped, “You’re alive!”

“Yes,” Gorseclaw croaked back. He scrabbled again the drenched ground, hardy finding a paw hold, and managed to steady himself on his own paws. Concern flooded over the young dappled cat. 

“Can we make it back to camp?” she asked.

“Of course,” Gorseclaw rasped, throat sore from the salty water. “We’re warriors.” 

“But I’m just a queen who’s still weak from dying while giving birth,” Dapplewing complained.

“What?” Gorseclaw gasped.

“You didn’t know about that, did you?” Dapplewing sighed. “I’ll explain everything later.”

“You’d better!” Gorseclaw’s mew was firm, but his legs were shaking and a friendly, but fatigued look sparkled in his green eyes. “Let’s get home.”

“If you can hear me,” Gorseclaw whispered, barely audible, “I’ve always loved you.” Dapplewing show no sign of it, but she heard. A flicker of black fur and a gleam of yellow eyes caught Dapplewing’s attention. She sighed, “Nightkit.” 

“What’s that?” Gorseclaw asked.

“Nightkit… She brought the hurricane,” Dapplewing said.

“What?!” Gorseclaw halted and stared at his much loved friend.

Dapplewing sighed. “Do you remember the prophecy I told you about before the cliff collapsed?” 

“Yes,” he replied thoughtfully. 

“Well, each of my kits has a special power. Cloudkit can read minds; he’s deaf, by the way. Thrushkit controls movement, and Nightkit, apparently controls the elements,” Dapplewing meowed, getting halfway used to her kits being so powerful. While she talked, the storm subsided.

“Wow,” Gorseclaw breathed. “So what was that about you dying?”

“When I had the kits,” Dapplewing started. “I kind of died. Stonestar, Snowstream, and Applekit each gave me part of a life.”

“Again, wow!” Gorseclaw’s weakness had seemingly faded. A stench struck Dapplewing so hard that she almost choked. Blood! 

“Frostwing!!” Dapplewing focused hard. She got the image in her mind of the white she-cat kitting. “Her kits are coming! We can’t let her die out there! We must go help!”

“What? Help the cat that almost killed you and your kits!?” Gorseclaw gasped.

“Kitting is hard! I would never let a cat die having kits! Let’s go!” Dapplewing dashed into the forest, her legs shaking with effort. Gorseclaw sprinted right behind her. The stench of blood enveloped both cats, making them choke. A yowl of pain and frustration filled the air, making it quiver. 

“Get out, you stupid mouse-brains!”

“Yep, it’s Frostwing alright!” Gorseclaw had made his way to Dapplewing’s side.

“You think?” Dapplewing feebly laughed. A flicker of stained white fur showed through the undergrowth.

“Are you ready, Dapplewing? This is your enemy, are you sure you want to do this?” Gorseclaw asked.

“Of course,” Dapplewing flashed back. “Frostwing?” she added.

“Who is it?!” The white queen yowled back.

“Gorseclaw,” Dapplewing mewed, ignoring Frostwing. “I need you to run back to camp and get Dawnsun. Tell her that Frostwing is kitting and we need herbs and   
cobweb. Go now. We don’t have much time.” 

“I’ll be right back!” Gorseclaw dashed off. 

“Frostwing, it’s me, Dapplewing,” Dapplewing whispered.

“What, why are you here?!” Frostwing spat. Dapplewing ignored her and placed her paws on the kitting queen’s belly.

“It’s almost time to push, Frostwing,” she mewed. 

“Bu—” Frostwing’s complaint was cut of by a lengthy spasm in her abdomen.

“Frostwing, I need you to push now. Everything will be okay, so now, push!” Dapplewing had to work hard not to let her voice and paws tremble with apprehension. Frostwing pushed until her whole body was quivering with effort.

“Try again,” Dapplewing prompted.

“I can’t! Help!” Frostwing winced as another contraction seized her belly. 

“I’m sorry that I have to do this,” Dapplewing mewed. The gray queen inhaled a deep breath of the blood tainted air. Dapplewing gathered all of her strength in her shoulders then shoved at Frostwing’s swollen abdomen.

“Stop! It hurts! Please, I—” Frostwing plea was cut off by another burst of pain. Dapplewing continued to push on Frostwing belly.

“Come on, come on,” she murmured. Frostwing shrieked in pain, but Dapplewing took no notice and kept the pushing Frostwing’s belly.  
A wail sounded in the distance. Dapplewing stopped pushing and pricked her ears. Sweetkit!

“Sweetkit!” Frostwing shrieked in pain as Dapplewing yowled. The black kit erupted from the undergrowth, bristling with rage. Frostwing still yowled in pain, but when Sweetkit relaxed a bit and looked at her mother, she stopped.

“Sweetkit’s power,” Dapplewing gasped.

“What power, Mother?” Sweetkit breathed. 

“Later,” Dapplewing hissed. “Go find your father, now!” Sweetkit looked hurt by her mother’s sharp tone, but nodded briefly and dashed off.

“Help me. . .” Frostwing was growing weaker by the moment and now she was barely breathing now. What breaths she could take were short, choppy, and shallow.

“Frostwing, don’t die!” Dapplewing was surprised by the grief she felt. “Push, please push!” Frostwing pushed harder than ever then. A powerful ripple seized her abdomen and a kit started to crown. 

“Push, push!” Dapplewing crouched next to Frostwing’s back end, ready to nip the sack on the kit and let it breathe. Frostwing pushed again and the little kit slithered out onto the leaf strewn forest floor. At that moment, three new cats erupted into thee clearing. It was Dawnsun, Gorseclaw, and Sweetkit.

“Great StarClan,” Dawnsun gasped. “Get me moss soaked in water!" Sweetkit dashed off, obeying her kin.

“Where are the herbs?!” Dapplewing demanded.

“I-I thought he was joking, so I didn’t bring any,” Dawnsun admitted.

Dapplewing scowled at her sister.

“Stop it!” Gorseclaw’s yowl interrupted the she-cats’ fight. “The kit!”

The kit had managed the claw its way of its sack and was crawling blindly around. Frostwing was staring longingly at her kit. Dapplewing knew that she knew that she wouldn’t live. Frostwing took one more shaky breath then all was still except for the kit’s faint mewling. 

“There were three more,” Dawnsun reminded the other cats.

“Would they have died along with their mother yet?” Gorseclaw whispered with grief. 

“I don’t think so,” Dawnsun mewed.

“We must get them out,” Dapplewing declared.

“How?” Gorseclaw gasped.

“Cut her open,” Dawnsun answered for her sister.

“We’re wasting time! Let’s hurry,” Dapplewing growled determinedly.

“Who will do it?” Dawnsun asked.

“I will do it,” Dapplewing answered.

“But—” Gorseclaw started. “Do what you must.”

Dapplewing took a shaky step towards Frostwing’s corpse. _StarClan help me to do this right!_ She prayed. Feeling more strength flow into her limbs, she took a more confident step towards the dead queen. After she had made it to Frostwing, she unsheathed her front claws and stood over her.

“Where do I cut?” she asked.

“Right on her belly, and make it quick! This sickens me,” Dawnsun answered. 

Dapplewing squeezed her eyes shut and placed her claws on the queen. She cringed as she heard and felt her claws slice through the dead flesh.

“Open your eyes!” Dawnsun’s yowl made Dapplewing whip her eyes open. The sight she saw made her gag. Her paw was drenched in scarlet liquid and Frostwing was cut open, her red flesh showing. Dapplewing knew what she had to do. She held her breath and dug into her. She felt a lump and hooked her claws in it and pulled in out.  
“There,” she gagged.

Dawnsun dashed forward and cut open the lump and removed one bloody kit after another. She kept pulling them out until there were three more kits. Two of them squirmed around after Dawnsun had nipped their individual sacks, but one just lied eerily still.

“That one’s dead,” Dawnsun sighed.

“But Dapplewing saved three lives today. She’s a hero,” Gorseclaw weakly purred. Dapplewing had forgotten about their earlier “swim”, but now Gorseclaw was truly exhausted. With a jolt, Dapplewing realized that she was too.

“Did they live?” Came the muffled mew of Sweetkit as she dashed back to her mother with dripping moss. “Oh. . . ”

“Three lives have been saved today, but two have been lost. This day will not be forgotten soon,” Dawnsun declared.

“Gorseclaw, take Sweetkit back to camp and tell Icestar to send four warriors to carry Frostwing and the kits back. I’m sure even though she was exiled, some cats will want to sit vigil for her and her kit,” Dapplewing ordered.

Gorseclaw nodded and set out to camp with the little black kit at his side. _She’s a hero_ , Gorseclaw’s words wrung in her head as Dawnsun told her, “These kits need to suckle, and so do yours. We need to get you back to camp. Sweetkit must be utterly exhausted.” Dapplewing just nodded and lied down for the remaining three kits to suckle. _She’s a hero. . ._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See y'all in group therapy.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, to soften the psychological trauma of the last one.

Dapplewing had apparently dozed off, because when she opened her eyes, Flameheart, Hawkpelt, Dustfur, and Appleblossom were whispering urgently to Dawnsun. Though they tried to be quiet, Dapplewing heard every word.

“Will they live?” Appleblossom asked.

“They should,” Dawnsun replied.

“What about Dapplewing?” Flameheart mewed worriedly.

“She’s weak, but she’ll be okay,” Dawnsun sighed.

Dapplewing lifted her head, and when so cat noticed she decided to tell them. “I’m awake,” Dapplewing meowed. 

“Oh, good, now we can go home,” Hawkpelt sighed with relief. Dustfur just stayed quiet.

“I’ll carry this kit,” Dapplewing mewed, gesturing to a gray she-kit. The dappled gray she-cat gingerly rose to her paws and bent down to gently sink in teeth into the newborn’s scruff.

“I’ll carry the tom,” Dawnsun mewed, picking up the tabby tom in her delicate jaws. 

“I’m sorry,” Appleblossom, a young warrior, apologized to Flameheart and Hawkpelt. “I really don’t want to carry a dead body, so if you two don’t mind, I’ll take the other kit.”

“Its okay, Appleblossom, we’ll carry her,” Hawkpelt mewed, running his tail down the she-cats spine. Dapplewing glanced at Flameheart, wondering if she was hurt by this gesture. She caught the ginger she-cat’s eye and saw that there was jealousy welling in her green eyes. Flameheart shook her had as if getting rid of a fly and stooped down to grab Frostwing’s corpse. Hawkpelt joined her and they hoisted Frostwing a little ways off the ground. Dustfur took the dead kit.

“Let’s go,” Hawkpelt huffed, and they were off. Dapplewing paws felt like stone as they trudged back to camp. Occasionally, her eyelids would droop and she would let the kit she was holding bump the ground. Several times the other four cats would offer to take the kit so she could run back to camp, but Dapplewing refused each time. By the time they reached the gorse barrier of camp, Dapplewing’s head hurt immensely and she felt sick to her stomach, though it was hollow with hunger.

“Who will nurse these kits?” she yawned, placing her tiny gray she-kit on the ground. Dawnsun placed her kit down too.

“You have an abundance of milk, but you already have five kits. . . You, Sweetheart and Dapplepelt will share the work, okay?” Dawnsun meowed.

“Okay,” Dapplewing agreed. “We’ll each name one of them. I’ll name the gray one, Sweetheart can name the tabby, and Dapplepelt the other.”

“Sounds good,” A new cat meowed.

“Sweetheart! Are my kits okay?” Dapplewing was suddenly worried out of her wits. She began flicking her gaze back and forth for her kits and some cat else, Gorseclaw. 

“They’re fine. I told them you were fine and let them nurse with me. They’re asleep now, Sweetkit, too,” Sweetheart replied.

“What about Gorseclaw?” No reply came, only muffled laughter.

“Well?” she demanded.

“H-he’s fine,” Icestar chuckled, padding up to her weary daughter.

“Why is this so funny to all of you?” Dapplewing’s eyes blazed with fury. More laughing met her yowl.

“He’s a fine tom,” Icestar purred, wrapping her fluffy white tail over her daughter’s gray back.

“What?” Dapplewing gasped. How could any cat know about her secret, faint feelings for Gorseclaw? 

“We can see that he’s more than a substitute father to your kits, Dapplewing. You like him, more than a friend,” Icestar purred.

Dapplewing was so shocked and tired that her paws buckled beneath her and everything went black. She saw Gorseclaw’s, and her kits image flash before her eyes before she passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All this bitch knows is drama and fainting.


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to reiterate that I wrote this UNIRONICALLY.

When she woke, her vision was blurry, her pelt was matted, and she stank of rotting bedding. She coughed and sneezed, hacking up green liquid with each heave. She glanced around. She was in a den, but none that were in IceClan. Not the nursery, not the medicine den, not the warriors’ den, nothing. A stench choked her and it came to her.

“I’m in MoonClan,” she breathed. Dapplewing glanced around. Her bedding was soiled her own dirt, her ragged pelt clung to her thin frame, as if she hadn’t eaten properly in a moon, and she saw two cats snarling at each other. One was a pale yellow she-cat, the other a black and white tom.

“Why did you bring her here!? She’s a queen,” the yellow cat spat.

“We took her as a prisoner to teach those mangy, smug fleabags a lesson,” the other cat snarled.

“Her kits will die,” the pale cat insisted.

“Good, less warriors for IceClan!” Neither fuming cat had realized that Dapplewing had woken up from her state of temporary coma. The she-cat stayed silent, not wanting them to know that she had come back to awareness. Not that the young warrior was a cowardly mouse-heart, but at her weakened state, she would be no match for either angry MoonClan cat.

“Take her back, Beetlepelt!’’ As the pale she-cat raged, realization hit Dapplewing like a boulder. _I was stole from IceClan, like a kit! This is Moonstar and Beetlepelt, leader and deputy of MoonClan!_

“Why should I?” Beetlepelt spat back.

“Her . . . kits . . . will . . . die!” Moonstar was quivering with fury now. Her legs were stiff, her eyes were wild, and her yellow pelt stood on end. “They may be enemies, but we are not kit-killers! If she was a regular warrior, it might be better. But I heard on a border patrol that she has five kits! Five lives on hanging at my paws!”

“You mouse-hearted fool! You’re too soft on everything! Next, you’ll be claiming that we must eat leaves for the rest of our lives because killing prey is murder!” Now Beetlepelt was fuming with rage. Dapplewing couldn’t take the fighting anymore.

“Stop it!” She stood up and instantly dropped back to her filthy nest.

“Wha—?” Both cats gasped, and then Beetlepelt snarled under his breath, “I’ll kill you if say one more word!” 

Dapplewing shakily rose to her paws and hissed as fiercely as she could, “Never! My kits need me and I need them! I’ve already watched one life being stripped away today; I won’t feel my own spirit leave me today!”

Beetlepelt unsheathed his claws and bared his teeth.

“Shut up!” Moonstar stepped between the two cats.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Dapplewing, “We never should have attacked your camp and especially not took you while you were unconscious.” She flashed a glare at her deputy. “That act will not go unpunished, but I will let you go back to your—” Dapplewing cut her off with a slightly stronger snarl.

“You attacked my camp!? My kits! Sweetkit, Lionkit, Nightkit, Cloudkit, Thrushkit!” She yowled her kits’ names over and over.

“Calm yourself! As far as I know, your kits are safe in your nursery. But I have to ask you to leave now. You are no longer welcome here. If you are found in our territory after sun-high, no cat will have mercy on you,” Moonstar meowed. “On second thought, Bumblelight and her apprentice, Blossompaw, will escort you,” she added. A pale gray she-cat and a young gray and white apprenticed padded over from the MoonClan fresh-kill pile, summoned by their leader. Dapplewing’s belly yowled for food, but she would not dare ask for food.

“Let’s go,” the tabby warrior mewed surprisingly soft, gently laying her black striped tail on Dapplewing back to guide her out of the camp.

“I’m so sorry . . .,” Blossompaw choked.

“What?” Dapplewing and Bumblelight both asked.

“I was in the battle . . .” Blossompaw was now close to tears.

“Well, duh,” her mentor meowed.

“I killed . . .” she hoarsely whispered.

“Who!?” Dapplewing demanded.

“A-a ginger kit with amber eyes . . . he was so big that I thought he was an apprentice, so I fought him. . .”

“Lionkit!” At Dapplewing’s yowl, a bird called an alarm call and both cats flinched away from her.

“I-I’m so sorry!” Blossompaw looked utterly somber. 

“Sorry!?” Dapplewing spat. “You’re sorry!? You killed my son! Sorry makes no difference! I’ll never see my two sun-rise old kit again! You’re such an idiot! You should be punished with your own crime: death!” Blossompaw crouched on the ground, shaking with sorrow, while Bumblelight glared Dapplewing for upsetting her apprentice.

“Shut up! Can’t you see how terrible she feels!?” Bumblelight yowled.

“She should! She killed my kit!”

Dapplewing took a stiff-legged step towards the apprentice, snarling and baring her teeth.

“Kill me then, I do deserve it,” Blossompaw choked.

Her mentor let out a yowl. “No!”

“I-I didn’t mean to! I was in the heat of battle—” Dapplewing cut off Blossompaw’s desperate whine. All her fatigue was gone now.

“You were in the heat of an injustice battle!!!”

“Please! Don’t kill me!” The white and gray apprentice’s blue eyes shimmered with fear.

“Blossompaw,” Bumblelight murmured so soft that Dapplewing hardly head, “run back to camp, as fast as you can, and get a back up patrol, now!” Blossompaw sprang up and shot like a rabbit back in the direction of the MoonClan camp. Dapplewing knew she was defeated, for now. 

She glowered at Bumblelight and spat, “I’ll leave, but this isn’t over. I will have my revenge!” With the shocked warrior staring after her, she sprinted off into the forest, not knowing exactly which way to go. She just kept blindly ambling through the undergrowth, the wind whipping the tears from her blue eyes. Dapplewing couldn’t believe it! Her son was dead, killed by ruthless savages. _What about the prophecy!?_ She thought bitterly, wishing her remaining kits were just normal. 

She kept thrashing through the undergrowth until she came to the border line. The leaves were squashed here, the ground smeared with blood from mangled pelts and paws. Dapplewing how many familiar faces would be gone when she returned to her home. _Mossnose?_ She wondered. _Gorseclaw? No, no, no!_ She took off at her racing speed again. _No, no, no, no _. . . Finally, she reached camp. Wails of grief sounded from the hollow. _No! Not more than Lionkit!_ She burst through the fern tunnel and saw not one, not two, but three cats sprawled in the clearing. Lionkit, sadly of course, but two more, one half ways expected: Mossnose. One more that Dapplewing had to strain to make out. Icestar! Her usually ice white pelt was mangled, bloody and torn. Dapplewing let out a shrill wail and dashed over to her mother.__

__“Dapplewing!” Shocked gasped sounded, but Dapplewing paid no attention. Her mother was dead. Not the temporary death that would ware off after a moment, pure not coming back death. She would never see her precious son, Mossnose, her grandmother, or Icestar ever again. MoonClan had killed some of the most important cats to her and they would pay. Dapplewing felt the anger and remorse simmer inside of her. They would not go unpunished. They would have their own fault repeated upon themselves. Their elders, leader, and kits would have to die._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peace? Don't know her. I wish I could go back and ask myself how in the hell I thought all of this could happen in two days. Two days. Good lord.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rough by all accounts.

“Dapplewing,” A voice whispered. She glanced up to see a ghostly white figure standing beside her.

“Icestar! But, you’re dead! It can’t be,” she wailed. Several of the mourning cats looked up from their vigil. They just expected she was too grief stricken to control herself.

“Dapplewing, it was my time to go. I died bravely, for my Clan. I will miss you forever, but it is Hawkpelt’s era now. He and his deputy will rule over IceClan now, and believe me, Hawkpelt, Hawkstar then, will get revenge on MoonClan.” And with that, Icestar disappeared. Dapplewing’s grief was replaced by cold determination again.

“Mama,” a new voice mewed, “he’s dead, isn’t he?” Dapplewing saw Cloudkit staring at his long gone brother.

“Yes, Cloudkit, but it’ll be okay. I need you to be strong for your sisters, okay?” The mother glanced over at her she-cats. They were crouched beside their dead brother, sobbing immensely.

“But Mama, what about our powers, didn’t he have one?” Cloudkit asked, voicing Dapplewing’s fears. Thank StarClan, she didn’t have to answer.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here, beneath the HighCliff for a Clan meeting!” It was Hawkpelt that called this. As the cats broke away from their dead Clanmates, even Frostwing, Hawkpelt went on. “We have seen four deaths today. A mad queen, a loyal elder, an innocent kit, and the greatest IceClan leader of all time, but me must stay strong! I will go with Dawnsun to receive my nine lives tonight, but first, I would like to appoint my deputy.” Every cat strained to listen to who would be the future leader of IceClan, and Dapplewing noticed that Rockfall looked rather smug, as if he knew he’d be deputy. He was an obvious choice, though. The gray tom was experienced, and somewhat levelheaded, but Dapplewing had the feeling that Hawkpelt wanted a young, cat, full of energy, yet with some experience in tough decision and heartbreaking times.

“The new deputy of IceClan will be—” Many cats interrupted the announcement to shout their own opinion.

“Rockfall!”

“Flameheart!”

“Dapplewing!”

“Gorseclaw!”

Hawkpelt’s yowl silenced them. “I have already made my decision! You are wasting your breath! I need a young, brave cat that knows where her loyalties lie. A cat that knows grief at its worst and has seen how cruel the world can be! There’s only one cat I would trust to come after me.” His gentle blue gaze rested on Dapplewing and she shied timidly away. “The new deputy of IceClan will be Dapplewing, daughter of the great Icestar!”

“What!?” she yowled.

“Yes,” Hawkpelt purred.

“Dapplewing, Dapplewing, Dapplewing!” Every cat, even Rockfall, joined in this chorus, Gorseclaw, who sat by her kits, yowled the loudest of all the cats. Dapplewing was horrified. 

“No!” The chant stopped abruptly. “I’ve only been a warrior for a few moons! I’ve never had an apprentice, I’m a queen, and my whole family is dead! Except remaining kits of course but Lionkit, killed by Blossompaw! I want to kill her!!!!!!!!” Dapplewing found herself tearing the ground and her eyes blazing in hatred flames. Every cat had shrunk back, thinking she’d go on a mad rampage and start attacking, but Gorseclaw dashed to his friend’s side. “Hush, Dapplewing. You’ll frighten the kits. Lionkit is in a better place, now. He’ll never know hunger or pain,” he soothed. Dapplewing let out a wail.

“But he shouldn’t be dead!”

“Stop,” a new cat growled. Dapplewing looked up to see Dustfur, her mother’s brother.

“Dustfur, this cat has felt more pain than you could ever imagine, so back off,” Gorseclaw hissed.

“What!?” Dustfur exclaimed. “I lost my mother and sister today! She knows more pain than that?”

“Yes,” Gorseclaw jumped to Dapplewing defense again. “She lost her mate day before yesterday, she lost her kit, mother, and grandmother today, so, like I said before, back off!”

“Gorseclaw, it’s okay,” Dapplewing whispered.

“No, it’s not!” Gorseclaw almost wailed. “It’s not fair to you! You deserve better than this! You deserve a happy life with your family, but StarClan have stripped them away from you!” Gorseclaw was ripping up the grass with his long curved claws. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is make you happy, but how am I supposed to do that with StarClan killing you inside, huh!? It’s not fair, it’s not fair!”

“Gorseclaw . . .,” Dapplewing mewed.

“I just want to have a happy life with you,” Gorseclaw mewed calmer, his clear green gaze meeting Dapplewing’s. “I want you to love me like I love you, but you always loved Brackentail, you’ll never love me! I’m not as brave as he was! I can’t even be compared to him!”

Dapplewing couldn’t stand to see him in this much pain, which made her realize something. 

“Gorseclaw, no, you can’t be compared to him. You’re way better than he ever was. You’re sweet and funny, and just as bit as brave. You treat she-cats with respect, not like fox-dung. When you love some cat, it doesn’t change when another cat loves you. I love you, more than I ever did Brackentail, and it doesn’t matter what pain I might have had in the past, but maybe with you it will bring to an end.”

“I just want to love you,” Gorseclaw mewed.

“Me too, but about you,” Dapplewing agreed. After that there was an awkward silence. Dapplewing knew she would have to ask, so she thrust her head into Gorseclaw’s tabby chest and purred, “Will you be my mate, Gorseclaw?”

“I want to say yes so bad. This is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life, but I can’t do this to you! You deserve better than me, plus, you don’t really love me. You’ve always loved Brackentail, not me,” Gorseclaw sighed, moving away from Dapplewing head. His brain said no, but his heart screamed yes, Dapplewing could tell.

“But Gorseclaw,” Dapplewing pleaded, “I love you, and Brackentail is dead! I don’t care about him! It was a crush! You’re the tom I love, you’re the tom that makes me feel alive, and you’re the tom that loves me. I want you right now as much as you said you’ve always wanted me, so listen when I say this, please. I love you, not Brackentail. Brackentail can be in the Dark Forest for all I care. But, you’re the one I care about. I would kill myself if you died.” Neither cat noticed, but the Clan hadn’t moved away after the meeting, they were gathered around Dapplewing and Gorseclaw, listening intently.

“You’re just saying that because for hurt and vulnerable right now. You want a friend, not a mate,” Gorseclaw mewed; head down so she couldn’t see the longing in his green eyes. Dapplewing was getting slightly frustrated, not because he didn’t understand, but because she wanted him to be her mate so bad.

“Listen, I may be hurt, but I need more than a friend. I have Flameheart to be my friend, but you, Gorseclaw, are the one I want forever, not as a friend,” She mewed. Gorseclaw glanced up.

“But Brack—” Dapplewing cut his objection off.

“Shut up about Brackentail! He is dead. He was a mouse-brained, fox-hearted, mangy, fox-dung eating, flea-pelt, okay? He was a traitor to every living cat known. He couldn’t be trusted and I was a fool to think I could.” Dapplewing closed her eyes and a tear dripped down her cheek. “I love you, not him. I don’t care about him, I don’t care.” Gorseclaw let out a defeated whimper and darted back closer to his new mate. He gently licked the tears from Dapplewing face and the whole Clan purred, 

“Awww!” 

“But wait,” Gorseclaw sighed. “You have five—four—kits,” he corrected himself. “You don’t have time for a mate, especially with your new deputy duties.” Dapplewing let out a frustrated sigh.

“Love finds a way, and since I’m a nursing queen, I want you to carry out my deputy duties for a while, and since I’m deputy, I can make that decision, so don’t you have some patrols to organize?” Dapplewing purred with a wink. Gorseclaw glared playfully back at her.

“I love you!”

“Love you, too,” Dapplewing purred back.

“Dapplewing!” A dappled golden she-cat sprinted towards her. “Your kits, and Frostwing’s, need milk. Go to the nursery.” It was Dawnsun who spoke this and nudged the weak queen towards the nursery. When she poked her head through the den entrance, she saw her kits, who had returned to the nursery before her not-so-private talk with Gorseclaw, Skykit, Rockkit, and Frostwing’s three kits sitting curled around each other in grief, the smallest kits not understanding, just wanting the warmth of the other six kits. Frostwing’s—well basically Dapplewing’s now—kits were so cute! One, a tiny she-cat, was sliver tabby with darker gray stripes. One of the others was a dark brown tabby tom with black stripes. The last one was a very weak white she-cat with gray legs, ears, tails, muzzle, and ears.

“Do you want to name them?” A voice startled Dapplewing. It was Sweetheart, Skykit’s and Rockkit’s mother. “You can name mine if you want; I mean you saved them from certain death,” she mewed.

“Mine too.” This was Dapplepelt’s voice.

“Really!?” Dapplewing gasped, though she already had the most perfect names picked out for the kits.

“Really,” both cats answered simultaneously. Dapplewing let out a wordless purr and gazed lovingly at the three kits.

“I want to name the silver kit Cinderkit.” The other two queens nodded in agreement. “The tabby tom, I think a good name would be Hawkkit,” she mewed. 

“Perfect,” Dapplepelt mewed.

“And the white kit, Snowkit?” she suggested. 

“Yes, Snowkit is a wonderful name.” At the sound of her name, the tiny Snowkit lifted her head to reveal gaping sky-blue eyes.

“She’s beautiful!” A voice squeaked from behind Dapplewing. It was Birdsong, who was the kits’ grandmother. “What’s her name?”

“Snowkit,” replied Dapplewing.

“That’s such a cute name! What about the silver she-cat?” Birdsong purred.

“Cinderkit, for her gray stripes,” Dapplewing purred back, feeling like curling around all seven of her kits, the ones she gave birth to and the adopted three. Birdsong just let out a purr at this name and Dapplewing wondered if she liked the name.

“What about the tom?” she asked. Dapplewing took in a deep breath, not wanted the next name to be disliked too.

“Um . . . Hawkkit,” she finally choked out.

“Lovely. . .,” Birdsong sighed.

“Ahem!” Another cat squeezed her head into the nursery. It was Dawnsun again. “Dapplewing needs to rest; she has to sit vigil tonight for her family, so any cat that’s not nursing, gets out. These kits need to feed too.” She swept her tail to gesture towards the den exit and the other three cats shuffled out. Dawnsun turned to leave herself, but she spun back around and added, “Dapplewing, you go ahead and get settled, I’ll bring you some borage for your milk to come. Rest well.” Dapplewing nodded and curled up in her nest. She reached over and picked up each of the youngest kits and placed them one at a time in the soft curve of her belly. Then, she called softly to the others,

“Come rest, dear ones.” Each kit glanced up and Thrushkit, Sweetkit, Cloudkit, and Nightkit wearily dragged themselves over to their mother. Skykit and Rockkit looked up, but when they saw that it wasn’t their mother calling they got up and shuffled to their own nest, looking quite distraught.

“You come too, Skykit, Rockkit,” Dapplewing cooed. Both kits looked astonished that Dapplewing had invited them too.

“We’re good,” Skykit sighed. “Rockkit and I are almost a moon old now; we can sleep in our own nest alone.” Dapplewing saw in Skykit’s and Rockkit’s eyes that they wanted her to insist that they share her nest, so Dapplewing kept on persisting.

“I’m awful cold by with only little kits beside me. I need big, soft, warm kits or I might get a cold,” she mewed, making it seem as if they would be doing her a huge favor. The kits exchanged a glance and then they shot up like a rabbit and pelted across the nursery to Dapplewing’s nest. As soon as they had gotten situated, Dapplewing purred, “Perfect, I’m perfectly warm now.” When the truth was, she could hardly breathe for all the kits huddled around her. As she was trying to breath, Dawnsun returned to the nursery with a bundle of fragrant leaves in her delicate jaws. She left out a soft chuckle at the sight of all the kits piled on top of Dapplewing.

“Here, eat this, if you can,” she added, pushing the borage close to Dapplewing mouth with her petite dappled golden paw. Dapplewing received the herbs gratefully and quickly chewed, spitting at the foul taste that it left behind. Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to meet Midnight, the elderly badger, tonight.

“Dawnsun?” she mewed cautiously before her sister had time to make her way out of the den.

“Yes?” she answered.

“Um . . . do you think it would be okay if I went for a walk tonight?” she ventured.

“You certainly can’t!” Dawnsun scowled at her sister. 

“Why?” she whimpered.

“You have died in the past few days, come back to life, nearly drowned in the sun-drown place, watched a cat die, got stolen by MoonClan, and you have seven kits to help nurse! In fact, I’m going to talk to Hawkpelt about confining you to camp for a while. I know it seems harsh, but it’s for your own good. Also, get plenty of rest before tonight, remember you have to sit vigil, me too. So I’m going to leave in a minute. But, after the vigil, eat and rest more. Hawkpelt is traveling to Moontree tomorrow night and he wants his deputy to attend with him.” Just when Dapplewing thought that Dawnsun’s lecture was over, she kept going. “I’m going to get Gorseclaw to bring you as much prey as you can handle.” Finally, Dawnsun turned and left Dappelwing in peace. She sighed after Dawnsun had left her. She had to go see Midnight! As she thought desperately for a way to see her, Gorseclaw squeezed into the den, letting out a mroww of laughter at the kits.

“I’m so sorry . . .,” he sighed.

“Sorry for what?” Dapplewing asked.

“Your family . . . your family all died,” Gorseclaw breathed.

“Not all of my family, my kits, sister, and my mother’s brother are still alive,” Dapplewing reminded him.

“But they aren’t close to you, are they?” Gorseclaw asked nervously.

“Not as close as they were, but my kits love me, and I think Dustfur does, a little at least,” Dapplewing yawned.

“But—” Gorseclaw was cut off.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath HighCliff, for a Clan meeting!” The yowl was Hawkpelt’s.

“We’d better go,” Gorseclaw advised. Dapplewing nodded and gently let the kits roll off her as she got to her feet. As she pulled herself out of the nursery, Hawkpelt continued. He was standing on the HighCliff, silhouetted against the sunset. 

“We must sit vigil for three great cats tonight, Mossnose, a loyal elder, Lionkit, and innocent kit, and Icestar, one of the greatest leaders IceClan has ever seen. But we must stay strong! Tomorrow, I will travel to Moontree with Dawnsun and Dapplewing, if she is fit to go. Also—” his announcement was cut off by a loud yowl.

“There’s a badger in the camp!” It was Flameheart’s yowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A badger in the camp?? Drama?? I don't believe it.


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm out of comments.

“Midnight came to find me!” Dapplewing sprinted to the camp entrance. In the gorse tunnel, the wise old badger was being flashed with dozens of thorn sharp claws but never fought back.

“In peace, do I come,” she bellowed.

“She means it,” Dapplewing told them in a mew. “She speaks cat! She knows about the prophecy!” 

“What prophecy?” many cats echoed. Dapplewing cringed. She had given away the secret prophecy!

“There will be Five of your kin. Who will bring peace to all the Clans, but not before much pain and suffering . . .,” Dapplewing whispered.

“What!?” Hawkpelt gasped.

“My kits,” Dapplewing said, “they all have powers.”

“But you only have four kits now,” a voice near the back of the crowd yowled. Dapplewing gulped. She wished they hadn’t pointed that out.

“I-I know,” she admitted. 

“But it might be one of Frostwing’s kits!” A new contradicting voice spoke up now.

“But they aren’t you kin!” Dapplewing hadn’t thought of that. They weren’t her kin, were they? While she was thinking of the right words to say, to her surprise, Dustfur came to her rescue.

“That is where you are wrong,” he meowed. “My mother’s sister was Silversnow, Silversnow’s kit was Birdsong, and Birdsong’s kit was Frostwing.” All of the cats gasped, including Dapplewing. Frostwing was her cousin? 

“It’s true,” Birdsong said. Midnight looked up.

“Speak, can I?”

“Speak!?” Hawkpelt spat. “You come traipsing in our camp and expect to speak!?”

“Yes,” Midnight replied defiantly.

“Wait, stop fighting.” Flameheart came up to stand by her mate. “This doesn’t add up. Dapplewing has kits that are supposedly part of a strange prophecy? A badger that speaks cat comes to our camp?”

“You have a good point, Flameheart. What do you think we should do?” Hawkpelt prompted.

“Take a vote,” she replied coolly. 

“Good idea,” Hawkpelt purred. Jumping back onto the HighCliff, he yowled,

“We will take a vote! Everyone who believes this story and want to hear it in more detail, go stand by the nursery! Everyone that thinks this is a bit   
far fetched and wants to hear no more of it, go and stand by the medicine den.” The cats gathered beneath him nodded and took there places.   
Gorseclaw, Dustfur, and Birdsong went to the nursery. Grassfur, Iceflower, Autumnleaf and Icepaw went to the medicine den. This continued until only Cherrypaw, Hawkpelt and Flameheart were left to choose. The nursery had exactly as many cats as the medicine den by it. Cherrypaw finally nodded to Dapplewing and took her spot next to the medicine den. Hawkpelt trotted confidently trotted to the nursery.Flameheart glanced back and forth repeatedly and slowly turned to the   
nursery. 

“You’re siding with me?” Dapplewing gasped.

“Of course I did! You are my best friend,” Flameheart purred. Dapplewing ran up to her and rubbed her gray muzzle again Flameheart’s red one. 

“I thought I’d lost you when you said that before we voted,” Dapplewing admitted.

“You’ll never lose me, Dapplewing. We’ve been friends since we were kits, never will you lose me to anyone, and I hope you can say the same about   
me,” she purred back.

“I can, trust me, Flameheart,” Dapplewing confirmed.

“Well,” Hawkpelt said, jumping onto the HighCliff, “it seems the vote is clear! Dapplewing, come up here and tell us your whole story.”   
Dapplewing gulped and nodded nervously. This would be the first time she’d addressed her Clan from HighCliff. Hawkpelt leaped down from the   
cliff and let Dapplewing take up her position.

“First,” she mewed, “can we please move my dead family members out of my sight for a while. I can’t stand to see them, please move them.” The   
cats nodded and picked up the three cats and moved them out of her sight. “Thank you, now. . .” Dapplewing told them her whole story. From how she got pregnant, to Frostwing, to Brackentail almost killed her, to her dying while giving birth, to how Frostwing hurt Cloudkit and stole Sweetkit, to the prophecy, to the powers, to Midnight, the sun-drown place, utterly everything. Even how she saved Frostwing’s. Ever cat cringed and gagged at her heroic act. “So, that’s my whole story. I’m   
sorry if you feel I’ve wasted your time, but I hope that you now understand how this came about now,” she ended.

“So what you’re saying is,” Rockfall meowed, “is that kits, tiny newborn kits, are more powerful than full-grown, seasoned warriors?”

“Technically speaking, yes. But trust me, I wish as much as you do that this prophecy was never given, but it was, so . . .,” Dapplewing trailed off.  
“  
Did anyone else know of this prophecy?” Hawkpelt inquired. Dapplewing swallowed hard. She should’ve told the leader and deputy right away. . . 

“Well, Dawnsun received the prophecy, too. Midnight knows of course,she speaks to StarClan herself, and I told my kits and Gorseclaw,” she   
finally said. Hawkpelt nodded thoughtfully and Dapplewing went on, “Anymore questions?”

“I have one,” Cherrypaw murmured softly.

“Yes, Cherrypaw?” Dapplewing addressed the stubborn apprentice that went against her. Cherrypaw first dipped her head to her deputy, and   
then cleared her throat.

“Um, how do we know that this prophecy even comes from StarClan? I mean we know that there are . . . other places than StarClan, but what   
if it’s from another cats’ ancestors? Other groups of cats living together somewhere must have their own ancestors to watch over them, so what if   
the prophecy was really meant for IceClan’s kits to save some other four Clans?” Dapplewing stared at her. She had never thought of this. What if it was true?

“Um . . . well, I guess . . . I don’t know,” she admitted at last.

“Ahem,” Hawkpelt cleared hid throat, “Let’s not pester Dappelwing anymore.” Dapplewing blinked her thanks to him and gathered herself on her haunches. She leaped down into the mass of cats and Hawkpelt took her place. “I know that I said that I was going to receive my nine lives tonight, but it’s getting late so I shall go tomorrow. Let the vigil begin. Bring the cats to the clearing,” he added. Dapplewing trudged over to Lionkit and gently dragged him across the clearing. She set him beside Icestar and Mossnose, who had already been brought out. She sighed with grief and padded to the nursery to get her kits. They would pay their respects to Lionkit too.

“Kits,” she cooed, “it is time to sit vigil.” The kits slowly padded out of the nursery heads down in grief. Even Snowkit stumbled out behind them, clueless. Dapplewing pushed her back into the nursery. “No, no little one. You mustn’t stay out tonight and stay awake.” Dapplewing gently pushed the tiny gray and white kit back into warm den. Then, she turned back to her kits. 

“Mama,” Sweetkit mewed, “what’ll happen if we fall asleep?”

“Oh, nothing will happen my dears, nothing,” she replied.

“Oh, okay,” she sighed. They walked over to their dead family and settled down beside them.

“Rest in peace, my sweet Lionkit . . . Icestar, my mother, please watch over your Clan in death as fiercely as you did in life, and Mossnose, I hope your happier in StarClan and more comfortable than you were here . . . I know you were getting old . . .,” she murmured. For a moment, she felt the spirits of all three cats waft around her. She sighed and drew her kits nearer to her body. “Please take care of Lionkit, Mother. . .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We looooooooooove unnecessary conflict here


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all we're almost through this. We can make it.

When she snapped open her eyes the sun had risen high above the horizon. She was still lying next to her dead family, but her kits were gone. She sprang up.

“Where are my kits!?” she wailed. Dawnsun raced to her side.

“Hush! You fell asleep during the vigil and I took the kits back to the nursery,” she soothed.

“Phew . . . I-I fell asleep? Did anyone see?” she asked.

“I think it was just me, but no one could blame you,” Dawnsun reassured her. “Now, go back to the nursery. I’ll have Gorseclaw bring you some fresh-kill and let your kits nurse. They’re starving, I’m sure! By the way, you have a surprise waiting for you!” Dapplewing nodded, confused, and padded slowly to the nursery. In her nest, all seven kits were huddled together, as if one litter. Skykit and Rockkit had moved to their mother’s nest. Dapplewing picked her way across the nursery to her den. She smiled warmly at her kits. She curled around them and purred rhythmically. Her eyes were drooping as Gorseclaw came in with a huge thrush in his mouth. He dropped by her nest and looked lovingly at his adopted kits.

“I caught it just for you,” he told her. Dapplewing purred her thanks and tucked in. “Er . . . will you tell Snowkit, Hawkkit and Cinderkit that you’re not their mother?” Dapplewing looked up and drew her tail over the kits’ backs.

“Of course I won’t!” She saw Cinderkit twitch in her sleep then groan groggily. She, to Dapplewing and Gorseclaw’s surprise, sat up and opened her eyes. Dapplewing gasped. They were breath taking! Green and clear as emeralds, with little black marks in them. “That must be the surprise! You’ve opened your eyes,” Dapplewing purred in delight.

“Yep, I did! Are Hawkkit’s open yet?” the tiny kit squeaked, using her voice for the first time.

“No, not that I know of, my dear,” Dapplewing purred back. Cinderkit nodded and looked up at Gorseclaw.

“Are you my daddy?” she asked. Dapplewing answered for him.

“Yes, yes he’s your father,” she lied.

“And you’re my mommy?” she asked.

“Of course,” the lie hung in Dapplewing throat. As she spoke, Cloudkit woke with a jolt. He sprang up and prodded his sisters in the side to wake them.

“Mama, can they show Cinderkit the camp?” he asked hurriedly. “I need to talk to you alone,” he added in a much lower tone.

“Um . . . sure, I guess. Go now, darlings, show the kit the camp,” Dapplewing confusedly mewed. The now awake she-kits nodded and guided Cinderkit out of the nursery with their tail. “What’s this about?” Only Dapplewing, Gorseclaw, and Sweetheart’s and her kits remained in the nursery.

“Can we go outside, utterly alone?” he asked, glancing at the sleeping queen and kits.

“I guess so,” Gorseclaw mewed. Cloudkit led the way out of the nursery and the older cats followed him to the camp exit.

“Let me take the lead now, Cloudkit,” Dapplewing meowed. He nodded embarrassed, and followed his mother. They padded out of hearing distance of the camp and Cloudkit sat down to face his mother and so called father. He wrapped his fluffy white tail over his petite white paws and stared up at then with his gleaming dark blue eyes.

“What’s this about?” Gorseclaw prompted. Cloudkit hesitated for a moment, clearly thing of a crafty way to talk to him.

“Um . . . well, I may as well get straight to the point. You’re not my real father are you? Wait, you don’t have to answer, I mean, I wouldn’t hear you anyway, but I can tell what your thinking already, so I know that the answer is no.” He looked back up to them and glanced back and forth to his mother, then Gorseclaw, and back again.

“That’s not tru—” Gorseclaw started, but Dapplewing cut him off by clamping her tail over his mouth.

“Stop, Gorseclaw,” she sighed, “he already knows the truth.” She glanced at her son. She found herself staring into deep blue pools of understanding.

“I understand, Brackentail . . . I know exactly what happened, from your thought.” The little cloud of a kit laid his tail gently on his mother’s flecked shoulder.

“Will you tell your sisters?” Dapplewing asked.

“No, not unless it’s necessary,” he reassured her.

“Good, please don’t . . .” Dapplewing sighed inwardly. She hated how understanding her kit was!

“Now,” prompted Cloudkit, “there has to be a fifth cat in the prophecy. Who do you think it if? Is it one of Frostwing’s kits?” He stopped for a moment. “Yep, I read you thoughts! They’re our kin so they can be in the prophecy. But which one is it . . .?” 

“Um . . . who do you think it is, Cloudkit?” Gorseclaw asked.

“Snowkit is what I think. She was the first to open her eyes, and follows us around everywhere, and . . . she just seems different,” he stated.

“I’m what!!??” a voice screeched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm what" head ass yall i am tired twelve year old me is exhausting im sorry


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the end thank god

Cloudkit let out a startled yowl. 

“Snowkit!” Snowkit’s teeny tiny legs trembled with rage and her feathery white pelt stood on end with confusion.

“Snowkit, you really should be in camp, not here,” Dapplewing scolded.

“I don’t care,” she spat back. “I’m what!?”

“There is a prophecy about Thrushkit, Sweetkit, Nightkit, and me. We all have special powers and I think you do too,” Cloudkit explained.

“B-but I’m just a normal kit! Just a normal kit who is your sister, right?” she stammered. 

“Right,” Dapplewing choked out another lie.

“Wrong,” Cloudkit muttered under his breath.

“What!?” Snowkit screeched again. Dapplewing let out a hiss.

“Hush!” Snowkit made a mocking face and then continued: “So I’m not your daughter?”

“No,” Dapplewing hissed through clenched teeth. “But I am related to you. You real mother was my cousin. You won’t tell your littermates, will you?”

“No, not for now, but I’m not making any promises,” Snowkit retorted.

“Okay, thanks,” Dapplewing sighed. “Now, I need you to act mature. You are part of the prophecy, no matter what you want. You have to lead the Clans through the darkest times in history. You will need to be strong, wise, and collected, okay? And don’t tell anyone,” Dapplewing mewed.

“Okay,” Snowkit exaggeratedly sighed. Cloudkit rolled his eyes, but nodded.

“Let’s go back to camp, you’ll be leaving to go to the Moontree soon,” Gorseclaw advised.

“Yes,” Dapplewing agreed. The four cats headed back to camp. Dapplewing sent the kits to the nursery to play and then, she and Gorseclaw padded slowly to the fresh-kill pile, head bent together, tails twined together: tabby and gray. Dapplewing let out a wordless purr, and was copied lovingly by her mate. They stopped when they reached the heap of prey. Dapplewing pulled out a rabbit as big as her and drug it over to Gorseclaw. 

“Want to share?” she mewed.

“Of course,” he purred back in reply. Dapplewing took a bite of the fresh, fluffy rabbit. Gorseclaw then dipped his tabby head and chomped down hungrily on the piece of prey. When they had finished, they padded over to a sunny spot in the bramble surrounded camp and curled up together so close that their fur blended into   
to one big pelt. They slowly drifted off to a deep slumber after having shared tongues with each other.

“I love you too much to explain,” Gorseclaw murmured.

“You don’t have to,” Dapplewing purred, “I know.”

When Dapplewing woke up, it was almost past sunhigh. She sprang up, making Gorseclaw jerk awake. The brown tabby jumped up, his green gaze darted back and forth, as if he expected an enemy to leap out at him.

“Chill out, Gorseclaw,” Dapplewing mewed soothingly. “It’s time for me to leave.”

“Oh,” he sighed, “have fun!”

Dapplewing nodded and set off to find her sister and leader. She quickly found them waiting at the camp exit.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” she exclaimed as they set off at a brisk pace.

“You needed to sleep, and we didn’t have to leave right then,” Hawkpelt answered thoughtfully.

“Oh, thanks,” she sighed. They quickened their pace into a steady lope and the lush new-leaf forest blurred by her in a haze. Soon, Dapplewing heard the steady beating of waves on the sandy cliffs. Though it would be a while before they reached them, Dapplewing’s heart began to race and she sprinted ahead of the other cats. Finally, as the fiery sun was drowning in the churning blue-gray water, they reached the cliffs. They three cats began to pick their way down the sheer, jagged cliff. After much backtracking, they made it to the sand below. Dapplewing glanced to her left and saw it: the Moontree. It glowed in the dying light and she knew she was just a heartbeat away from climbing into its ancient bark and falling asleep, seeing her mother, Mossnose, and Lionkit. She sighed inwardly; she couldn’t wait! 

“We should wait until the sun goes down completely before we climb up,” Dawnsun said. The other two cats nodded solemnly. Hawkpelt look horrified, as if he was deathly afraid of seeing StarClan. One question flashed in his blue eyes: Will they accept me? Dapplewing laid her tail on his back, purring reassuringly. He nodded gratefully and sat down in the sand. Dapplewing knew that leaders couldn’t eat before sharing tongues with StarClan, but she assumed that it didn’t apply to deputies and medicine cats, so she stalked off a few paces. She quickly scented birds, seagulls. She saw several of them picking busily at the sand, eating several bits of Twoleg rubbish. Dapplewing wing purred excitedly, she would have one in no time.

“It’s time!” Dawnsun’s call startled the gulls and they quickly took flight. Dapplewing hissed a curse under her breath, but padded back over to her Clanmates. 

“Let’s go,” she breathed. The Moontree was now glowing as if made of millions of tiny stars. She took a shaky step towards to tree and stared at the radiant, giant oak tree.

“Hawkpelt, you need to climb up into one of the branches and when you get settled, StarClan will send you to sleep and you’ll receive your name and nine lives,” Dawnsun explained. Hawkpelt nodded, still looking terrified. He took a few paces towards the tree and then took a massive leap and sunk his claws into the soft, ancient bark. As soon as he crouched down in the crook of the branches, StarClan sent him to sleep instantly.

“Dapplewing, you need ceremony, so do as Hawkpelt. I’ll follow you,” Dawnsun told her. She nodded sheepishly then ran towards the tree at full speed and leaped onto its lowest branch. She was followed, at a slower pace, by Dawnsun, the petite golden she-cat picking her way down the shore. Dapplewing glanced drowsily at her once more and then drifted off to sleep.

She snapped open her eyes in a blossoming green-leaf forest. Hawkpelt and Dawnsun were there, but also Icestar, Lionkit, Mossnose, and the rest of StarClan. Dapplewing let out a cry of joy, but when she tried to go greet her family, her paws wouldn’t move a bit. Dawnsun slowly padded over to her.

“You can’t greet them; they can only come to you. This is a sacred ceremony, so they probably won’t come see you. Not even Lionkit, remember, he isn’t just a kit anymore, he is a wise ancestor,” Dawnsun explained gently. Dapplewing let out a painful sigh and then bowed her head in understanding.

“Welcome, Hawkpelt,” a strong voice rang out. Dapplewing glanced up again and she saw her mother taking strong, powerful steps towards Hawkpelt. Stars sparkled at her ice white paws with every step. “Hawkpelt, I will begin the ancient ceremony that so many before you have experienced.” She touched her pink nose to Hawkpelt’s and closed her bright green eyes. “With this life, I give you strength. You will need it in the times to come, use it well for your Clan.” Hawkpelt stiffened and visibly bit his lip to keep him from yowling from the agony. Dapplewing remembered when her own life was given to her, it was pure torture, but it was worth it. Hawkpelt was left gasping for breath as Icestar stepped away. Next, Mossnose emerged from the crowd.

“With this life I give you loyalty. Use it well for all time. For your whole Clan, and especially Flameheart,” she mewed, thrusting her dappled nose into his side. Hawkpelt relaxed, and Dapplewing pictured a warm, new-leaf evening, with an abundance of prey. As soon as the life started, it was stripped away from Hawkpelt. Next, Lionkit came.

“With this life I give you courage,” he squeaked with such wisdom that it made Dapplewing tear up. He reached up on the tip of his toes to reach Hawkpelt’s. Fierce lightning seemed to incase his whole body and Hawkpelt broke into a fitful spasm, then it was over. Lionkit backed away and Stonestar replaced him. His deep voice echoed around the clearing. 

“With this life I give you mentoring, I’m sure you’ll use it to help ever cat.” This life, Dapplewing sensed, was happy. Hawkpelt sighed and then opened his eyes. Next, to Dapplewing’s surprise, Frostwing came! Her ice blue gaze met Dapplewing’s for a heartbeat. For once, no hostility was in her eyes, only warm appreciation. Thank-you for a saving my kits, they seemed to say. Dapplewing nodded, and then Frostwing continued to Hawkpelt.

“With this life I give you love, never lose sight of it, you’ll go mad,” she laughed. She delicately touched her nose to his. Ferocious energy pierced through his body. This time, he couldn’t hold the yowl back, and a blood curdling caterwaul sounded through the air. She cast one more glance at Dapplewing and then padded wearily away. Now, Silversnow took her place. 

“With this life I give you peace. Use it to the best of your ability,” she meowed. Dapplewing didn’t see his reaction, she still stared after Frostwing. As soon as she knew it, she was seeing Silversnow padding away and Hawkpelt gasping. Who padded up to him next was even more shocking than Frostwing: Brackentail. She bared her teeth in a snarl and hissed fiercely at him.

“Hush,” Dawnsun snapped. 

“With this life I give you the ability to respect, especially she-cats,” he mewed sadly. He touched his nose to the tip of Hawkpelt’s ear and gave the life. Hawkpelt screwed his eyes up in pain and remorse, not at the life, but at being so close to Brackentail, a traitor. When the life was given, he sighed in relief. Applekit, Dapplewing’s brother, gave the next life. 

“I give you parenting with this life,” he meowed. Dapplewing didn’t see his reaction to this life either, because of Brackentail, who had stopped to stare at his former mate. 

“I hate you,” Dapplewing whispered. Brackentail showed no reaction. One more cat came after Applekit: Goldenbreeze, Hawkpelt’s mother. The golden tabby’s blue eyes sparkled with love as she padded up to her son.

“With this life I’m going to give you mercy,” she purred. This life was warm like sunshine and Hawkpelt visibly wanted to relish it forever. Now Icestar spoke up again.

“Now I give you your leader name. By the power of StarClan I give you your name. Welcome, Hawkstar as full leader of IceClan.”

“Hawkstar! Hawkstar! Hawkstar!” The cheers erupted.

The next thing Dapplewing knew she was waking up in the Moontree, with pale dawn light lighting the world. Hawkstar and Dawnsun were also waking.

“Welcome, Hawkstar,” both she-cats purred.

Dapplewing emerged in the camp, exhausted. She padded into the nursery and everything was still fine. No death, no fighting, nothing . . . Things were finally looking up for the young speckled queen. For now . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over i doubt anyone will read this far but if you did first of all why and second of all thank you and may you never read anything so outlandish ever again okay thx bye


End file.
